We need Jesus to take up our cross and persevere during hard times. Learn how to take up your cross and follow Jesus daily.
It’s not enough to just read our Bible to cross it off our to-do list — we need a revelation of Jesus in the Word every day to receive Him as our daily bread which gives us strength to live in Him.
We can’t afford to live a day without abiding in Jesus and partaking in him. Just as we need food to operate, we too need Jesus for strength to walk by the Holy Spirit and not our flesh.
We will grow weary if we try to do life without a fresh revelation of Jesus every day.
I find that as a mom with a newborn and toddler, annoyance creeps in very quickly, causing me to be mean and not like Jesus if I don’t take time throughout the day to remain in Jesus and meditate on His word.
We must take time throughout the day to seek Jesus in the Bible and ask Him to open up the Word to strengthen us.
Start your day with the desire and hunger to encounter Jesus and receive Him as your daily bread. Make Matthew 6:11 your daily prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Every day you must be ready to take up your cross deny your flesh.
The temptation to complain, be angry, lust, feel afraid, and more will arise, but we must say no to these thoughts and feelings. To be a disciple of Jesus will require you to take up your cross and deny your fleshly desires—die to what is sinful by submitting to God and following Him.
We must deny our flesh if we want to experience the life and love of Jesus.
Our fleshly desires is what holds us back from truly receiving Jesus. If we would choose to let go of our annoyances, pain, and other sinful thoughts and instead fix our eyes on Jesus, we will then be filled with His love, peace, and joy.
A life of self-denial and embracing Jesus is the way to follow Jesus. This does not mean that we ignore our feelings, but rather allow our feelings to draw near to Jesus. When we bring our emotions to Jesus, He make room for Him to fills us with His love to remove all that is not of Him.
His love alone has the power to perfect us (1 John 4:18).
Do you have thoughts and feelings that don’t belong to Jesus? What do you need to die to in this season to follow Jesus?
Jesus wants you to experience an abundant life, but you must first be willing to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus.
Jesus says in Matthew 16:24, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
If you want Jesus, you first have to be willing to deny your fleshly desires, live a life of long suffering (carry your cross), and follow Jesus. We allow Holy Spirit to reign in our lives as we choose to die to ourselves. This is when we will see the fruit of the Spirit displayed in our lives: Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
I’m currently in the newborn season with my son who is 2 months old. Any mother knows how difficult it is to take care of a newborn.
As a mom with a newborn, you have to wake up and feed your baby even though you are tired, be available to feed your baby during times when you may not want to feed them, and constantly give of yourself with long-suffering.
As I go through this season, I’m reminded that we as believers of Jesus too are called to be ready daily to deny our fleshly desires, carry our cross, and follow Jesus.
There is beauty and satisfaction in following Jesus, but with it also comes the need for you to carry your cross and die to yourself.
Will you position yourself daily to deny yourself, carry your cross, and follow Jesus?
Following Jesus will not always be easy, but it is the best decision you can ever make. Jesus is life and when we have Him, we experience an abundant life.
How would our lives look like if we were to live with the end in mind? Eternity is real and how we live today will determine our eternity to come — whether with Jesus or away from Jesus in utter darkness.
As we start this new year, let us continue to persevere strong. Jesus promises to save those who persevere and obey His commands until the end. Hardships and troubles will come, but by the grace of God and through His Holy Spirit living in us, we can persevere and end strong in the Lord.
Jesus says in Revelation 3:10, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
As believers of Jesus, we are promised to be kept safe from the time when God judges the world in the times of tribulation (the trumpets and bowl judgements).
Will you set in your mind and heart every day to take up your cross, persevere, and follow Jesus?
So remember, take up your cross and persevere.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our strength and daily bread. Help us deny our flesh, seek You each day, and walk in Your truth. In every challenge, remind us of the life and joy found in surrendering to You.
Listen to our Podcast “How To Take Up Your Cross And Persevere”
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