“And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27)
You may think my question presumptuous, but this is serious! It would be my contention that we are all told to carry our cross(es). But do we wimp or moan about this. Do we simply sit down on the side of our journey and put our cross(es) down? Have you ever taken the time to look at the verbs in this… carry and follow.
- “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30, ESV)
- “Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
- “…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know
to God.” (Philippians 4:6-7) - “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) ~ [Hint: this means sharing. Helping each other.]
Other scriptures that speak to our ‘reaction’ to carrying our own cross: Matthew 6:25-27, 11:28-30; Luke 12:25; Psalm 55:22; Hebrews 12:1-2. And these are far from an exhaustive list.
Obviously, the definition of ‘carrying your cross’ is critical… I’m not sure it’s the same for all of us. Keep in mind Paul’s lament (2Corinthians 12:9) about his thorn in the flesh – his cross? I could be wrong but my belief is that any and every obstacle to becoming the best we can be is a cross we bear. Most, if not all, can’t be ignored and, unless we have overcome them, must be dealt with… daily.
Where’s our focus? On our cross(es) or on carrying and overcoming? Look at just a brief indication of those attitudes and actions available to us in carrying our cross that were indicated. Example: we will find rest, we can overcome anxiety by making our requests known, sharing the burden when it seems overwhelming, etc. The Lord tells us He cares for us… He won’t leave us alone… He has provided all we need to be conquerors. So perhaps it would help us more if we simply stopped complaining since this accomplishes zilch and look at what is available to help us…?
