Carrying the Cross 

   “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matt 16: 24) 

   It sometimes seems that those who ignore God’s laws, living only for themselves, have few, if any, crosses to bear.  They give the impression of going about their lives carefree, never concerned with tomorrow, living for today.  In fact, that attitude, that way of life, may well be the cross they bear even though they may not know it.

   Those who do not have God in their lives don’t relate difficulties and hardships to following Christ, they see them as nuisances to be solved and forgotten.  To them, suffering is simply punishment to be avoided at all costs.  If it can’t be avoided they usually look for someone to blame.  Sometimes they even blame the God they claim not to believe in.

   Christians, on the other hand, are often more aware of the crosses they bear because they realize that carrying those crosses is necessary if we are to follow the Lord.  If we reject or shun the cross we are rejecting Christ.  When we accept our crosses, bearing them with love and the help of God we are following in Christ’s footsteps.  We bear our crosses confident in the promise of heaven

   Our cross may be difficult, sometimes almost unbearable, but with God’s help they can be overcome.  The cross of those who do not believe will last throughout eternity; without God, and with no hope of redemption.