Luke 9: 23-26

Matt Deaville

Here's a massive challenge for you to achieve. Its not easy, it may be the hardest thing you'll ever have to do, but it's a neccesity if you want to follow Jesus.

Jesus has been speaking to me about this, this year, and now, everyday its a challenge that's on my mind, especially first thing in the morning. If I want to follow God and live for Him, my desires, my ways, my self have to go. I have to die to self.

"If anyone desires to come after Me," is the opening line, which says whosoever you may be, if you want to be my disciple/Christian/follower here's what you have to do ...

let him Deny himself
and take up his cross daily
and follow me

I am called to follow Him and to lose my life, not necessarily in a physical sense but in a laying down of my will. The problem I face is I have been building up my life and my self for 28 years and now I am being asked to put Him first, sacrifice daily for Him and follow His teaching, His ways.

I think most Christians want it all ways, we want to see God move in power in our lives and yet we want to do our own thing as well - it cannot work this way.

He goes on to say if you desire to save your life (to follow your own selfish ambition) you will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

This level of sacrifice is the acid test of whether Jesus is really Lord and King of our life or whether we're just playing at it.

I urge you today to reconsider your choices and to make Him Lord of your life, so that He can minister where He needs to, to you and others. (If you go left when He says right, you don't know who may not receive from God today because of your disobedience, choose to go His way.)

Bottom line is, the call to be a disciple is one of losing your life to save it.