"Follow Me"

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23

When Jesus said to, "Follow Me", He also said that there would be a cross to bear involved. In modern day Christianity we have a "one-sided" view of what it means to "follow" Jesus. We want to follow Him for the blessings and what He can do for us, like the multitudes that followed Him did while He was here on earth. "And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole." (Mark 6:56)

We want to follow Him in the works. We want to do the same works He did- miracles, heal the sick, teach, preach, minister. We want to follow His power. We want to follow in the glory. We want to be used in the gifts of the Spirit. And this seems to be our whole focus and desire when it comes to following Him. But there is more to following Jesus than what we consider the "glamorous" side of ministry- this is only one side of following Him.

There was a reason why Jesus said that those who would follow Him would also bear a cross. There is no gospel without the cross. There can be no discipleship without the cross. Jesus bore a cross and we do too.

So what does it mean to "follow Him"? It means to follow Him down the same path He walked. We are to follow Him on the path of obedience, the path of suffering, the path of sacrifice and self-denial. It is a path that surrenders to the will of God no matter what it cost us- “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39b- NIV) Following Him means that we will suffer pain, rejection and sorrow. And eventually it will mean death- death to self-- self-will, self-desire, self-ambition, self-love.

When you say you are a follower of Jesus, what do you mean? Do you mean that you are following His blessings, His power, His glory, His works? Or are you following Him by following Him to the cross as well?

Have a great day. What kind of follower are you?

For further reading:
Mark 10:21; 37-39
Hebrews 5:8Philippians 3:10

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
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