PICK UP THY CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.

You know, life was never more simpler, then when we serve the Lord. I remember my first years as a christian. Didn´t have a television in my room, hardly listened to the radio (of course I chose to live that way), but, oh the Love of God which reigned and continues to reign in my life, was ever so present round about me. Didn´t have time to enjoy life (as we know it to be,..that worldly life), because I was so busy trying to be a good steward, a steward for Christ. Now that I ponder upon it, it couldn´t have gotten any simpler. I wouldn´t have changed anything then, and I refuse to change anything now. Living a life for Christ is not an easy thing to do, in a world so filled with hatred and abominations. Yet, it is indeed easier to please God then to please the world.

Life is so much happier and plentiful when we occupy our minds and our lives with the richness of the knowledge of God, which is in Christ Jesus, through the Word and Obedience to the same, than with all that the world has to offer us with its disobedience.  The world is constantly changing and we are constantly having to adapt ourselves to this changing world, but, our God is an unchanging God. He is the same from everlasting to everlasting.  And what is it that He asks of us in exchange but one thing? OBEDIENCE. Obediece to His Word, and His Word is infallible.

Being obedient to God means to stop sacrificing that which He has not ordained from us. When we obey God, we love Him. Often, we say we don´t have time for God, when we really want to say: we don´t love you because we are too busy loving ourselves and this world, which we fail to forsake. But our friend Matthew (through his gospel) reveals to us an irony of life. Chapter 17:24 states: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

Have you found yourself lately? I find, that with each coming day, I must lose my life for His sake, in order to find it. For it is when I save it, that I lose a little more. What is your cross? and what your gain? I prefer to lose my life for His sake, rather than to gain the world, for I was unworthy of His cross, yet Jesus made me worthy. For this reason alone must I pick up my cross each day and carry on. It doesn´t matter how heavy it may become at times, His cross was made heavier for my sake. Let nothing deter you from following Jesus. When we begin to remove all those things that hinder us, things that occupy the Lords time, we will find how simple it was all the time, to serve Him.