![]()
Title: The Cost of Following
Scripture: Luke 9:23
The call of Christ is not a polite invitation; it is a summons that lays claim to the whole of life. Jesus gathers the crowd with His disciples and announces the non-negotiable terms: “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” No fine print, no easing in. The gospel is free, but it is not cheap.
Self-denial is not mere asceticism; it is the dethroning of the sovereign self. Every instinct of our fallen nature cries, “Preserve your life, assert your rights, maximize your comfort.” The Spirit, by contrast, whispers, “Lose it for Christ’s sake.” The cross we bear is not sickness, irritations, or unpaid bills—those are common to all humanity. It is the deliberate, joyful embrace of shame, loss, and even death for the glory of the One who bore our hell.
Daily. The adverb arrests us. Discipleship is not a single surge of zeal on the day of conversion; it is the quiet, repeated yielding of the will every sunrise. February 4 becomes a fresh battlefield: Will I crucify ambition when it seeks acclaim apart from God? Will I nail covetousness to the wood when advertisements shout for allegiance? The rhythm of morning prayer is the sound of another nail driven through the flesh.
Yet the paradox of Christ stands: in losing we find, in dying we live. The grain of wheat that falls alone into the ground springs up bearing much fruit. The heart that surrenders its petty kingdom discovers a kingdom that cannot be shaken. To carry the cross is not to walk a via dolorosa of gloom but to enter the fellowship of Him whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.
Look at your schedule today. Name the one thing you clutch most tightly—reputation, leisure, portfolio, relationship—and hear the Savior say, “Release it.” The nails will pierce, but the hands that hold the universe will hold you. The path that looks like loss ends in resurrection joy.
Prayer: Lord of the cross, give me courage today to deny the clamoring self and walk the road that leads to life. Let me not postpone or dilute Your claim; rather, let me rejoice that I am counted worthy to share in the fellowship of Your sufferings, knowing that the morning of resurrection surely follows the night of crucifixion. Amen.
