“May I be willing, Lord, to bear….Daily my cross for thee…” (4th verse of Lead Me To Calvary)
Bearing our cross. What does that mean to us? What is our “cross?” I thought about this as we were singing this hymn in preparation for the Lord’s Supper a few Sundays ago. After considering my own questions for awhile, here’s some conclusions I came to regarding our “cross.”
First of all, I’m of the opinion that, for many people, it just might be better regarded in the plural, as in “crosses.” And, I think that our “crosses” can take on various forms with these forms being all of the things that pertain to this earthly or temporal life. See, that’s basically what Christ is referring to in both Mark 8:34-38 and in Luke 9:23-26. I just particularly like Luke’s account because of the word “daily” which tells me that Christ is letting us know that “bearing our cross” is an everyday, all-day thing.
Let’s take a moment and think about some of the forms our “crosses” take in our lives. I guess one of the first things that comes to mind would be a “cross” of a physical nature. Perhaps such as one like Paul had that he called a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7). We’re not told exactly what that physical ailment was only that he aptly described it as a “messenger from Satan.” But, the important point we see from Paul’s experience is, that he never used it as an excuse for not doing whatever he could do for the cause of Christ.
When we consider that “crosses” are things of the world, they could take on the nature of business endeavors. You know, as in, “sorry, can’t make it to worship, got to work and make a living.” Or, even worse, “It’s my only day off and I’ve got to go fishing.” Or, doing the yard. Or doing any number of things EXCEPT “denying self.”
Do you know what one of the most prevalent “worldly thing” is that many just can’t “deny” themselves of? Yes, just as Christ teaches in Luke 14:26-27, a “cross” can take the form of a person’s “family.” If one puts their family ahead of following Christ, then they’re not “denying” themself and are basically saying that what the family wants is more important than what Christ wants.
And here’s another thing about “crosses:” they are not necessarily a chosen thing, are they? Even though we many times put ourselves in harms way, so to speak, we don’t usually volunteer for the “crosses” we have in our lives, do we? I think that, mostly, they come upon us and are just things that we have to deal with while working our way through this life. Sometimes we can be like Simon the Cyrenian (Matt. 27:32) and just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and be “compelled” to bear a “cross.”
For the rest of my time and space here let me try and tell you why I see the “bearing of our crosses” so important to our spiritual lives. In both of the accounts I cited to you in Mark and Luke, we see and understand that there is a direct correlation to the “crosses” in our temporal lives and their being “borne,” as to the effecting of our spiritual lives. There are some simple equations to be seen here regarding this topic and, because I’m a pretty simple-thinking person, I’ll just simply state them to you.
Thus, after extensive research, experts have been able to provide relief to a lot of Erectile Dysfunction affected men through oral medication like viagra online prices and Silagra but the problem needs to be rectified with the company’s manufacturing such bicycles. Whether it is depression or comorbid mood disorder and eating disorder, treatment allows people to lead a healthy and normal life. generic levitra uk: an ultimate product for men and women Men who need the help of such pill should look at the Ajanta Pharma. Kamagra is a basic version of well-known drug called frankkrauseautomotive.com purchase cialis online. Acai berries have a substantial sum of fiber along with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and all of these nutritional factors can play a on line viagra linked here part to a healthier you.
Jesus says, that if you don’t “deny self” and “daily bear your cross/s” IE: putting Me ahead of them, you cannot be “My disciple.” Read Luke 14:27 for the really simple version. Thus, if not His disciple in your earthly/temporal life, you will not be “in Christ” spiritually and therefore, will not share “glory” with Him.
To see how simple that is, let’s turn it around and see it from the opposite direction. To be a disciple of Christ, IE: to be “in Christ” we have to put all of our worldly “crosses” behind serving Him. That’s what “bearing our cross” means. If we don’t “deny self” we take ourselves “out of Him” and any future “glory” with Him. He describes this as being “ashamed” of Him and His cross. When you think about that, doesn’t it make sense why He said that if you’re “ashamed” of Me, I’ll be “ashamed” of you when I return in “glory?”
Before we close these thoughts here, let me lay some final thoughts and scripture on you. We need to understand why His “cross” is so important to us. And why our “crosses” should always be subservient to His. The first scripture I’ll point you to is the one that lets believers, or “those who are called” know exactly its importance. In 1Cor. 1:18 we read: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Do you get the correlation with us “bearing” ours and thus not being “ashamed” of His? The apostle Paul shows us this correlation in something he said in Romans 1:16. Let’s read it together: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Let me just carry this thought of being “ashamed” of Christ’s “cross” and the “gospel” one more step and then we’ll close. I’ll do this by giving you one more equation. In his letter to the Philippians Paul again speaks some words about the “cross of Jesus.” (Phil. 3:17-18) He’s advising them to “follow” him and those who “walk according to the example” that he sets and then in verse 18 he speaks of those who “walk” otherwise. Notice how they are described: “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Final equation: if you don’t “deny self” and “daily bear your cross” then you become a “enemy of Christ’s cross.” Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t believe I’m alone in this, I just don’t think I’d like facing the judgment of God being an “enemy” of His Son.
Ron Covey
