Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, laid it all down for us. Jesus carrying His cross for His impending death by crucifixion is a reminder for the live that we’re to live: a life of daily surrender. As believers, we’re called to surrender completely to the lordship of Jesus Christ, which means denying ourselves and picking up our cross daily. Jesus says the following:

‘Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ‘ –  Matthew 16:24-25

When I first believed in Jesus and professed the Christian faith, I did not know completely what I was signing up for. I knew that the way I was living my life did not align with God’s desires according to His word as I was living a life of sexual immorality. I gave that up, as that was the biggest offense, though I did not realize that there was so much more junk in me that God would prod at so that I can confess it, repent, and truly live by the Spirit and not by the flesh.

Daily Submission

When I read these verses about denying myself and taking up my cross, I did not know that it would involve a daily submission to God’s lordship over my life. I still chose to live my life according to my ways except this time I wasn’t sinning as bad as I was prior to my accepting Jesus. The issue I had was that I did not truly surrender completely to Him because the more I read the Bible and prayed, went to church, and fellowshipped with the body of Christ, I would come to realize that I wasn’t obeying all of Jesus’ commandments. I can tell you this, though, that if you set your aim and target on desire to be fully pleasing to God and obeying His will, He will surely do it in you, and you’ll find yourself no longer entangled with the sins of your current and past, a life free from sin.

I made this drawing as a reminder to pick up my cross daily and trust that the Holy Spirit would help me in my weakness, that I may live completely for Him. Jesus didn’t have to carry this cross. He humbled Himself by coming to this earth as a baby and gave Himself up completely to the will of the Father. He humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross. Denying ourselves and taking up our cross, as instructed by Jesus, means embracing a life of self-sacrifice and obedience to God’s will, no matter the cost. This commitment involves a willingness to let go of our desires, ambitions, and plans, and instead, align our lives with God’s purpose. In doing so, we find that the path of self-denial is not a loss but a gateway to true freedom and fulfillment in Christ.

A Continuous Journey

As we daily pick up our cross, we are reminded that following Jesus is not a one-time decision but a continuous journey of faith and surrender. It’s about putting God’s will above our own, even in trials and hardships. This journey is not easy and often requires us to give up things we hold dear, but the strength to endure comes from the Holy Spirit, who guides and empowers us.

Just as Jesus trusted the Father, even to the point of death on the cross, we too are called to trust God’s perfect plan for our lives.

Enjoy this video and I pray that it reminds and encourages you to lay down your will daily and live a yielded life of surrender to the One who made you. I hope you like it. Like and Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you can stay up to date on the latest content and receive encouragement in your walk with Christ today.

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