Call of the Cross

“The said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”   Matthew 16:24

When I think of all the friends and family members, as well as acquaintances that are going through a hard time right now or have experienced trying times in the past, I am reminded that we are all called to take up our cross to follow Jesus Christ.  We each have a different cross to bear.  For some, it is season of sickness and life-threatening diseases that have visited us.  Sometimes, it is the loss of a loved one whose exit from this life leaves us with an aching gap that can never seemed to be filled.  For others, their cross may take the form of persecution, criticism, and rejection.  Other crosses include a season of waiting and watching our loved ones wait.  Often our crosses bring with them seasons of intense loneliness, pain, and disappointment. Sometimes, carrying our cross leaves us with anger and bitterness which we must surrender to Jesus.  Each cross is different, but the lesson still remains the same.  Our cross teaches us to trust in Jesus and leads us to a place of exchanging our lives for His.  One preacher said it this way, “We carry our crosses and come to find that in the end, we are to be crucified on them.”  Like Jesus, we may cry out to God feeling rejected and forsaken (Matthew 27:46), but we continue on the journey despite not having all the answers. As a Social Studies teacher, I have asked my students to reflect on the big idea of “Struggle leads to change and growth.”  The more I reflect on this myself, I find the same to be true in the Kingdom of God.   If we are experiencing discomfort and struggle, then we are truly growing in Christ.    The cross is not glamorous. Others may not understand your cross and may deem it foolish (I Corinthians 1:18).  You may even fall under its weight at times, but the strength and power of God is sufficient. My cross may not look like yours and yours may not look like mine.  God has called us to different experiences, but in the end, our crosses lead us all to a place where we surrender to God the pen of our lives and allow Him to script a story that is so beautiful, that it brings Glory to His name.  In the end, that will be all that matters. If you are just starting your walk with Christ, I encourage you to hold fast to His unchanging hand and never, ever give up.  If you are a little more seasoned, then I pray that you keep on walking and trusting in His perfect plan knowing that He is not finished with you yet.