“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
Life is filled with the “I want to’s”. Even in our prayers we tend to get into a rut of asking for things and telling God Almighty what we would like Him to do. I propose that we are better fed by quieting ourselves and hearing from Him what He would like to do through us. Pursuing God is a daily choice we all have to make. It isn’t something that is turned on today and then coasts through the rest of life.
Many of us become interested in something and start off excited and ready to take on the new challenge. A few weeks in, the excitement wears off and reality sets in. Often times these new projects become secondary priorities, third priorities and eventually cease all together. Now, on the other hand when someone makes a commitment to something, we often times see less excitement at the onset and more dedication of their time and effort. A commitment is for the long haul, it’s requires endurance more so than an excitement. Recently I took the kids to watch an Ironman competition in our city. I watched as these men and women of all ages swam 2.5 miles, road their bikes 112 miles and then ran 26 miles, all in the course of one day. Every one of these athletes had dedicated the last year or so to prepare for this event. This dedication and total commitment pushed through the pains, muscle cramps, dehydration and desire to quit that might have cropped up now and then. Looking into their eyes as they would run by, there was a determination to not give up, despite the obstacles between them and the finish.
Paul the Apostle, when speaking to the elders in Ephesus, encouraged them to pursue the life that Christ had laid out for them. In Acts 20:24; Paul confirms that he himself is in a race to complete the task given to him by the Lord Jesus. We are to take up our cross each day. I do not believe this is intended to be literal, but rather metaphoric for your purpose. You see, for Jesus Christ that cross represented His purpose. He came to die for your sins and mine. So for him to tell them to take up their cross and follow Him, was to tell them to find their purpose in life and dedicate it toward pursuing Jesus Christ. It takes a commitment to pursue Christ because despite everything we learn each day, there is so much more to learn the next. You will never have learned everything there is to know about following Him. There will be obstacles, there will be times when you feel you can’t go on and want to give up. This is where you need to deny your thoughts and focus on God’s eternal plan. The race is long and takes endurance to complete. You must run with the confidence of the Savior though to finish strong in the Lord.
Many of us become interested in something and start off excited and ready to take on the new challenge. A few weeks in, the excitement wears off and reality sets in. Often times these new projects become secondary priorities, third priorities and eventually cease all together. Now, on the other hand when someone makes a commitment to something, we often times see less excitement at the onset and more dedication of their time and effort. A commitment is for the long haul, it’s requires endurance more so than an excitement. Recently I took the kids to watch an Ironman competition in our city. I watched as these men and women of all ages swam 2.5 miles, road their bikes 112 miles and then ran 26 miles, all in the course of one day. Every one of these athletes had dedicated the last year or so to prepare for this event. This dedication and total commitment pushed through the pains, muscle cramps, dehydration and desire to quit that might have cropped up now and then. Looking into their eyes as they would run by, there was a determination to not give up, despite the obstacles between them and the finish.
Paul the Apostle, when speaking to the elders in Ephesus, encouraged them to pursue the life that Christ had laid out for them. In Acts 20:24; Paul confirms that he himself is in a race to complete the task given to him by the Lord Jesus. We are to take up our cross each day. I do not believe this is intended to be literal, but rather metaphoric for your purpose. You see, for Jesus Christ that cross represented His purpose. He came to die for your sins and mine. So for him to tell them to take up their cross and follow Him, was to tell them to find their purpose in life and dedicate it toward pursuing Jesus Christ. It takes a commitment to pursue Christ because despite everything we learn each day, there is so much more to learn the next. You will never have learned everything there is to know about following Him. There will be obstacles, there will be times when you feel you can’t go on and want to give up. This is where you need to deny your thoughts and focus on God’s eternal plan. The race is long and takes endurance to complete. You must run with the confidence of the Savior though to finish strong in the Lord.
Prayer:
Almighty God,
I am Your workmanship. In You, I find my purpose for living. Help me today to live out that purpose in all that we do, that others might see You through me. In Your name I pray – Amen
http://www.10minutereader.com
©Sondove Enterprises, 2011
Almighty God,
I am Your workmanship. In You, I find my purpose for living. Help me today to live out that purpose in all that we do, that others might see You through me. In Your name I pray – Amen
http://www.10minutereader.com
©Sondove Enterprises, 2011
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