LUKE 9:23
"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and FOLLOW ME!"
What does Jesus expect from us if we surrender to Him and open our heart to His Holy Spirit? This would apply to any and all of us who say we are believer's. The truth for today explains what a follower of Jesus should do. If you say you want to be a follower of Jesus, He expects us to repent of our prior life and sins. Repenting means to turn around and stop following your own path and turn toward the Lord and His ways. If you have habitually been committing a sin such as drunkenness or sexual immorality, He expects you to stop right now and turn from such behavior and learn and then walk in His path. It is selfish for you to want your own way in the future. You must walk in His way.
Just as Jesus had to take up His cross and suffer, He expects you to do the same on a daily basis. Every day you must think of yourself as being more and more like Jesus and walking in the foot steps that He laid down for us. Like Jesus we are to give our lives for others and be willing to sacrifice ourselves to save others.
Jesus said to all of us, if you want to come after Me, deny yourself and lose sight of your own interests. Give yourself up and take up the cross daily. Follow me and become more like me. Conform to my example and hold on to me steadfastly. He means both in our living and if need be in our dying. We are to disown ourselves and lose sight of ourselves and keep our eyes upon Him. Now ask yourself, is the way I am acting and being today? Do you deny yourself? Can you say without question or hesitation that you are following Jesus today? Have you taken up His cross?
