This is Jesus explaining that our lives have got to change. I hope we are all striving to be followers of Jesus not just believers. Follower’s has such a more committed sound and makes you want to be a part of the entire relationship. We should long for being a part of everything Jesus shows us not just be in the crowd listening and cheering. Jesus says “take up your cross, and follow Me.” That alone is calling us to do more not just the bare minimum.
Verse 25 says, “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.”
Nothing that we want or we can do is enough. When we work on doing everything Jesus has shown us we can be free and understand our lives as fully devoted followers. This world moves fast and is full of things we desire; can we slow down and take up our cross? When we understand our cross is with us daily not just sometimes we will realize our journey with not end until we are home. Jesus is open and high challenge, we need to realize He is not hoping we change some of our life; He wants us to change all of it. When we think we are good on the middle road or lukewarm we need to ask ourselves why? What is keeping us from fully surrendering?
In Matthew chapter 16 verse 23 Jesus challenges Peter, “Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get away from me, satan! You are a dangerous trap for me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
What point of view are we going through life with, the world’s or God’s? Be all you can be in Christ and never be satisfied with where you are. Seek God’s point of view and die to self. Amen