“Then said Jesus to His disciples, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.”
Matthew 16:24-25
This scripture trips up many because they want to live with one foot in the Kingdom of God and one still in the world. To truly follow Jesus you have to completely turn your life and all it entails over to Him. Many can verbally express that Jesus is the Lord of their life, yet, they still want things their way. They never submit fully to His lead and direction. Thinking they know what is better for them they live without ever hearing His still small voice guiding them to a more excellent way. On the other hand, “whosoever” loses his life to Christ will find life and life more abundantly.
Which “whosoever” are you? Are you the one who holds on tight to your life and “saves” it fashioned by your own desires and vision? Or, are you the “whosoever” who will step out in the fullness of faith and lose your self made plans?
To truly follow Him requires that you deny yourself, take up your cross, whatever that may be, and go forward in Him. We each have a cross to bear in this life on earth. You can take it up and press forward or you can spend a lifetime complaining and missing the real glory God may have prepared for His Kingdom through you while you are here.
