12 September | Teens
«When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.» Mark 8: 34
Today, practically every church has a cross somewhere. The cross is a beautiful symbol because it was on the cross that Jesus gave himself up for us. For this reason, it has become the greatest Christian symbol of love. However, it's important to remember that the cross was originally an instrument of suffering and death. When Jesus told us to take up our cross, He was teaching us an important lesson about the Christian life.
Taking up the cross means denying ourselves, our desires and wishes, and following in Jesus' footsteps. It means “dying” to our desires. It means choosing to do what is right, even if it is difficult. After all, right is right even if no one is doing it. Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it!
Following Jesus isn't always easy. Sometimes it can seem like we're losing something, but in reality we're gaining so much more. Jesus said that whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for His sake and for the sake of the gospel will save it. This means that when we put Jesus first, we find true purpose and joy in life. The challenge today, and every day of our lives, is to take up our cross, that is, to “die” to what we want. I know it's a challenge, but with Jesus, everything is possible!
Take Action
To help you not just do your own will, make a sticker with the words: “What would Jesus do in this situation?” and stick it somewhere you see it throughout the day. This will help you to take up your cross and do Jesus' will instead of your own.