An Inspiring Call to Follow Jesus

In Luke 9 we have an incredibly inspiring call to follow Jesus. Let’s read it now: 23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. I believe that when Jesus says to the one who wants to follow after Him, to take up his cross daily, the meaning was very clear to his audience. The cross was an instrument of death, certain death. No one took up a cross except to carry that cross to his death. Jesus is calling those who follow Him to be willing EVERY DAY to die. This is an inspiring call, isn’t it? Anyone or anything that is truly worthy of such devotion is an amazing individual or cause. These words should not scare us but should rather inspire us who are followers of Jesus. We should be excited to be able to follow such a worthy One…God Himself.

If you are not willing to die today for Jesus, you should ask yourself the question: “Why not?” What is in your way of unfailing devotion, even to death if necessary, to Jesus? Any perception or understanding of Jesus that falls short of this kind of devotion is just not consistent with a right understanding of who Jesus truly is. Jesus calls us to correct that in our lives because there is no need for correction in Him. Don’t waste your life living for stuff or people that will perish…lose your life in Christ…and follow Jesus fully!