Luke 9:23-27

So an honest moment: the passage of Luke 9:23-27 is so packed with awesomeness that I had a difficult time processing it all and writing anything at all. Break it down verse by verse and dig into what Jesus is saying. What is the meaning behind the verses that packs so my truth? Let me tell you what has been going through my head as I read through this passage... digesting verse by verse... letting it all sink in. Questions race through my head on almost all of the verses.

What does it look like to pick up a cross and follow Christ? Everyday? How do I keep from tiring and wearing down? What is the cross I need to pick up? Who is my heart set on saving? Am I set on me all of the time? What would cause me to lose my soul and want the whole world? What would I do with something like that? Am I ashamed of Christ and His love for me? What are some changes in my life that I could make that would make the answers to these positive and "right" in God's eyes?

I have recently taken a few assessments on spiritual gifts and have had others take observation assessments on what they thought my spiritual gifts are. The answers that pop into my head with the questions above are focused on telling people about Christ. How do I do that in my life? I will tell you that evangelism definitely ranked as one of the lowest on my gift list... but God gave me other gifts. God gave me other gifts that show His glory and love for others and for me. He gave me a heart for him. I'm not sure why I'm sharing this other than when we pick up our cross to follow Christ every day, we use the gifts God gave us to show who we are living for and to reach those around us.

I believe that it is not just talking that can reach a person... just saying "okay this is what the Gospels say" is not the way that a Christian can show they know about Jesus (plus we should want to KNOW him, not just know ABOUT him). I think that what we say, how we act, what we wear, and even how we take care of ourselves shows, to an extent, what we think and believe about God. The cross we pick up is the cross labeled Christian... and with it comes a life lived for Christ... a life sold out for Him... a life lived however he wants us to live it whether that be rich or poor, here or there, less or more, how God wants us to live over how we want us to live. Pick up the cross that is labeled for you. Lose your life for Christ and let Him be the one to save you. His strength is infinitely greater than our own.
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"Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lost it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.""

~*Luke 9:23-27 (NLT)*~