Friday, March 4, 2022
Lord, we pray “I wanna be like You, Jesus. Make me more into Your image.” The wealthiest oligarch cannot purchase the benefits of following You—peace the world cannot explain, joy amid sorrow, perseverance in a hostile world. You promised these blessings to those who know You, but they do have a price. Many folks today are like those described in John 6 who wanted to follow You for all the good stuff but without any personal sacrifice. Christ-followers know the cost. Your message then is the same today. “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must deny yourself, give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me,” (Mark 8:34).
Is this what I signed up for? Deny myself? Abandon my desires? It’s my life! Take up my cross, the symbol of dying? Dying to what? Maybe dying to the selfishness of myself, the “me first” attitude? Dying to the drive “to be number one in the pecking order”? Perhaps dying to life’s challenges that I was never meant to handle in my own strength? How about dying to disappointments, seeking fulfillment in relationships where godly values are ignored? Maybe my most decisive death: dying to the emptiness of soul, knowing there must be more to life than this?
Christ-followers know our true fulfillment is in You, Lord Jesus. Amen.
THANKFUL 
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