Sacred Whispers Blog

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’” (ESV)

Matthew 16:24-25

THE PARADOX OF SURRENDER

These words of Jesus are unsettling, yet they are profoundly transformative. They stand in stark contrast to the messages of self-preservation and personal fulfillment that dominate our world. The call to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him sounds counterintuitive, even frightening. Yet within this radical invitation lies a promise of life—true, abundant, and eternal life. This promise holds within it the wonderful grace of discipleship: though it begins with surrender, it ends with the abundant life that only Jesus can give.

CLINGING TO CONTROL

The human heart is naturally inclined to hold on to control. We create plans, establish goals, and build into our lives layers of protection to shield ourselves from any hint of uncertainty. We strive to craft a life that feels safe and predictable; all the while, we are making the unconscious mistake of thinking that self-reliance is actually strength.

But here, Jesus calls us to a deeper, far more vulnerable kind of faith. He asks us to release our hold on the temporary and lean upon Him for the eternal. To be His disciple means to let go of our instinct to save ourselves and to entrust our lives to the One who gave His life for us.

THE BURDEN OF THE CROSS

Imagine what it meant to take up a cross in 1st century Palestine.  In our modern vernacular, taking up our cross is merely a metaphor or a symbolic phrase, but to Jesus’ disciples, this was no metaphor. It was a vividly horrifying image of execution, suffering, and ultimately the surrender to death.  It was an unmistakable symbol of shame and sacrifice.

Today, our crosses may not be made of wood, and exact upon us physical torture but they are no less real. They take the form of heartbreak, disappointment, rejection, poverty, illness, divorce, and even bereavemet and loss of loved ones. Our crosses are the places where God calls us to die to ourselves—our pride, our ambitions, our fears—and live for Him.  God makes such a demand because He knows that the only way to life, is to first experience death.

Yet, paradoxically, it is in carrying our cross that we find freedom. Each step of surrender loosens the chains of self-centeredness, freeing us to experience the joy and peace that comes from living for something greater than ourselves.

THE DISCIPLE’S EXAMPLE

Consider the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and pastor who stood against Hitler’s Nazi regime during World War II. His resistance was not born of hatred but of a profound love for Christ and for his fellow man. In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

Bonhoeffer’s faithful commitment to Christ led him to imprisonment and ultimately to his death. Yet, his life remains a testimony to the power of surrender. He lost his life for the sake of Christ, and in doing so, he found a legacy that continues to inspire believers around the world.

LIVING FOR HIS SAKE

Jesus’ call is not limited to monumental acts of sacrifice; it is found in the daily choices to put Him first. It is in forgiving someone who has wronged us, even when it’s hard. It is in choosing integrity over convenience, generosity over greed, and faith over fear.

Living for His sake means trusting Him in the valleys as well as on the mountaintops. It means believing that He is at work, even when we cannot see the outcome. It means finding our identity, not in what we accomplish, but in who we are in Him.

FINDING LIFE IN LOSS

Contrary to what many may feel, the call to discipleship is not a call to misery, but rather it is a call to purpose. Jesus does not ask us to deny ourselves because He gets some divinely sadistic joy in our suffering, but He asks us to surrender because He knows that true life can only be found when we do.

When we are inescapably attached to our own plans and desires, we are like a pregnant seed refusing to be buried.  Unless, and until it does so, it will never release the unimaginable potential that it carries.  But when we let go, when we allow ourselves to be planted in the soil of God’s will, we begin to blossom into the oaks and forests that we were always destined to become.

Always remember that anyone can count the number of seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.

PRAYER

Lord, Your call to deny myself and follow You is not an easy, yet I am praying that you would help me to answer that call and obey. Teach me how to trust You with the areas of my life where I am afraid to let go. Teach me to carry my cross with joy, knowing that You carried it first. Strengthen me to live for Your sake, finding my life in You alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

DAILY SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

Set aside a moment today to identify your “cross.” What is God calling you to surrender? Write it down and pray over it, asking for His strength to release it into His hands. Reflect on how carrying this cross can lead to a deeper relationship with Christ and greater purpose in your life.