Following Jesus

Matthew 16:24 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. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Lord Jesus,

Today, I reaffirm my commitment to follow You.  I reaffirm that commitment, not because of any diminished resolve or any lack of obedience to continue following You.  I reaffirm my commitment simply out of love and worship.  I will follow You.

You tell me that following You means denying myself, taking up my cross and following You. Radical stuff.  Grant me courage.

Barclay says that "To deny oneself means in every moment of life to say no to self, and to say Yes to God.  To deny oneself means once, finally and for all to dethrone self and to enthrone God.  To deny oneself means to obliterate self as the dominant principle of life, and to make God the ruling principle, more, the ruling passion, of life.  The life of constant self-denial is the life of constant assent to God."  (William Barclay in The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 2, p. 167).

I assent.

Taking up my cross is a call to sacrifice.  Barclay says that the one who embraces the cross "may well have to sacrifice certain things he could well afford to possess in order to give more away... The really important thing is not the great moments of sacrifice, but a life lived in the constant hourly awareness of the demands of God and the needs of others."  (pp. 167-168).

I obey.

Now help me to follow in obedience.  Dear Jesus, I choose afresh to follow You today.  Lead me. Nudge me.  Guide me.  Help me to have a fresh awareness to listen to Your whispers.  I love You.  I need You.  I follow.

Where You lead me I will follow.

Amen.