STRADDLING THE FENCE IS NOT A GOOD CHOICE

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple
must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
(Luke 9:23)

MEDITATION:
Jesus gave a very succinct message to the people then (and now)
about the expectations of His followers.
Some people struggle with the assurance that they belong to Him, but we can see in
this short verse how we can confirm for ourselves that we are in fact, His disciples.

In order to apply His message to our own lives, we need to remember that the
word “disciple” means “followers”, “believers”, etc. and not an elite selected group.
If we break down His message, we see the first assurance
indicator He mentions of His followers is, “denying themselves”.

This simply means that we have to make a conscious choice of our priorities.
Instead of being driven by our own desires,
we choose instead to do the things that are pleasing to the Lord.
For most people this can be a struggle,
but when we allow the Holy Spirit to have control, we can be successful.

Even Paul was honest about his struggles with what controlled him.
For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I
keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it,
but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:19-20)

Paul knew what brought him the most pleasure.
For in my inner being I delight in God’s law (Romans 7:22)
But he also knew the power that was constantly trying to gain control of him.
but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind
and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. (Romans 7:23)

Have you ever felt completely frustrated with your failures to overcome?
Paul felt the weight of his failures and was nearly in a state of desperation.
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me
from this body that is subject to death? (Romans 7:24)

However, due to his relationship with God,
and his commitment to serve the Lord, Paul knew where to go for help.
Thanks be to God,
who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:25a)

The second thing we hear from Jesus is to “take up our cross”.
What does that mean?
When Jesus took up His cross, it meant He was going to make a sacrifice.
He did not want to be crucified, but in obedience
to the Father, He sacrificed Himself completely for you and me.

When we ‘take up our cross’ it means we have chosen to make sacrifices
for the sake of our soul, and for the Lord’s earthly ministry.
According to Jesus, we make this commitment ‘daily’.
When committing to sacrifice,
we need to be sure we understand what is meant by sacrifice.

As an example, some feel that they are sacrificing their time by attending church.
Others feel they are sacrificing their finances by tithing.
These two examples are actions of obedience and not sacrificial acts.
We should not expect to be rewarded for doing what is commanded of believers.
Sacrificing means replacing our natural desires with God’s desires for us.
It means crucifying the lusts that are trying to control us.

The last part of the message from Jesus is, “follow me”.
Looking at this verse, we see that in order to follow Him,
we have to ‘deny ourselves’ and to ‘take up our cross’ first.
When we turn our face toward Him,
we turn our back to the things that displease Him.

ACTION:
When we reach the end of our earthly journey,
we will likely hear one of two messages from the Lord.
Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”. (Matthew 25:41)
Or,
His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23)

The one we hear will be based on how we lived our life and what we do daily.
Have you given thought of how you need
to ‘deny yourself’, ‘take up your cross’, and ‘follow the Lord’?
Make your choices today, because any delays
will give Satan the opportunity to influence your decisions.

Learn what it means to “delight in God’s law”.
Realize that sacrificing means
eliminating the things that prevent real joy in your life.
Rather than playing around with religion, commit to the Lord
so you will be told “well done” when you meet Him face to face.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for allowing my natural desires to
replace Your desires for me. I know that fulfilling the lusts of the
flesh will never provide the complete and lasting joy that You have
for me. Rescue me from my wretchedness and help me in my efforts
to deny myself, take up my cross and follow Jesus. Thank You, Jesus
for loving me enough to show me what true sacrifice looks like.”

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