I think one of the easiest things to do as a follower of Christ is to not do much about pursuing life in Christ. Some people seem that if they are convinced they belong to Christ, then that is enough. Growing in Christ seems so foreign to many who profess to know Jesus.
The demand of Jesus in Luke 9:23-25 is practically unheard of these days: “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”
We live in a fairly comfortable world in the west. We value our comfort to the point of resisting difficulty, struggle, irritation, inconvenience, and interruptions. We even may go so far as to pray “against” these things or ask God to remove them. We may even cross the line and claim promises from the Bible that actually do not exist. We are not following Jesus, but following what we want because that is not what Jesus promised (See John 16:33).
Taking up the cross of Jesus daily? That involves sacrifice, humility, difficulty, and even pain. Who would ever want that? Only those who want to know what it really means to find their lives will choose that.
Barb and I do not want to slow down or coast the last years of our lives. We are somehow convinced the best is yet to come in serving Christ in any capacity we can. We want to see what Jesus meant when He said: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and a bear fruit and that your fruit should remain.” (John 15:16).
Today I have a choice: die to me and live in Christ, or live for me and die an empty, bitter person who knows nothing of true living. But at least I will be comfortable until then.
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