Where Is Your Cross?Намуна

Now that we have fresh eyes on Jesus and his identity, let us begin to look at how it impacts our daily lives.

There is no more extraordinary privilege and responsibility than to be a Child of God. It is both a sobering and joyful thought at the same time. In Verse 18 of the passage in Matthew 16, we find Jesus prophesying a very profound future for Peter, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." Such a big statement is probably far beyond what Peter could understand at that moment. This information may have baffled and challenged the disciple's view of their companion in this newly formed band of misfit ministers.

If you identify as someone who never quite thought of yourself as a world-changer, I want to dig into your thought process for a moment. Accepting Jesus Christ for who he is, learning his ways, and spreading his love and message to others are the requirements for becoming a disciple of Christ. Before we move on from this important information, consider how we may have occasionally denied Christ's Lordship and laid down the cross.

- When we prefer to believe that our efforts to "save" or "clean ourselves up" is enough.

- When we lift and exalt our problems or circumstances over God's Word.

- When we accept opportunities to do things according to the world's way instead of God's way.

- When we ask God to endorse our plan instead of doing what He has asked of us.

These are just a few ways we push Christ away into a corner and leave ourselves open to fleshly living. The cross gets left behind, and we wonder why living this life as a believer can be so challenging. This revelation is no small thing, but thank God he does not condemn us. Instead, He invites us to experience more of His goodness by surrendering into His arms.

In our final reading, we will discover why cross-bearing can no longer be a casual call-to-action. It is so much more.