What does Jesus expect of me when he tells me to take up my cross and follow him? What did he show by carrying his cross? I think it means he showed his love for me who was his enemy, hostile to God and deserving of whatever I had coming to me. So then should I not follow his example to love those who are unloving to me? Perhaps 1 Cor 13 would be a good way to describe cross-bearing for Christ.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not take up my cross and follow Jesus, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not take up my cross and follow Jesus, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but do not take up my cross and follow Jesus, I gain nothing.
Taking up my cross and following Jesus means being patient and being kind. To take up my cross and follow Jesus means I will not envy, I will not boast, I will not be proud. I will not be rude, I will not be self-seeking, I will not be easily angered, and I will keep no record of wrongs. To take up my cross and follow Jesus means I do not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. To take up my cross and follow Jesus means I will always protect, always trust, always hope, and always persevere.”
Its easy to say but so hard to do all the time. That is why I praise Jesus that he accepts me totally and unconditionally, even when I fail him.
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