Our scripture this morning is Luke 9:23-24.
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”
In this passage Jesus speaks to us about dying to self, which means putting God’s priorities above our own. It requires those who claim Him as savior to value what God wants for them and give up our human desires. We must learn what God asks of us and with His help, live into His kingdom.
We read exactly the same words from this lesson in Matthew 16:24 from the New Living Translation. Later in Luke Jesus teaches “if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). His message for us is always consistent and if we follow it consistently, we can be His disciples.
We owe everything to God! We didn’t create ourselves and we can’t use His gifts well without following His commandments. Jesus wants us to see the blessing God has for every one of us, but we must be willing to accept the call that places on our lives.
Gracious God, we are thankful for all You have given us. Bless us to go in your name that everyone may know Your love for us. Amen.
