Thursday, January 28, 2021

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me

 By: Shari A. Miller

What does following God really mean? A relationship with God requires action.

"And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27


What if we decided to all of a sudden pay no attention to our spouse? What would happen?

What if your best friend called and told you to call her back, because she had some exciting news to tell you and you never called her back? What would happen?

What if your sister texted you and told you to come over right away because she had an emergency? What if you never came over, what would happen?

What would happen ...??

Most likely all of these relationships would suffer greatly and some might die all together.

Why is it that we sometimes do the same thing to God and act like it's no big deal? Oh God won't mind! He understands that I'm busy. He knows that I love Him even though it's been months since I have read my Bible and spent time in His Word. 

"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, bit whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?' " Matthew 16:24-26

The truth is...God does mind. He longs to have a relationship with you. 

He wants us to take up our cross and follow Him.

He wants to spend time with you in the quite, He wants to hear your prayers and answer back. He wants to speak to you through God's Holy Word. He wants to see you give up things in your life that aren't important, so you'll have time to seek Him as He guides and directs your life.

A relationship with God requires more than just asking Him into your heart when you were in first grade in Sunday school. It requires full on devotion to Him. It  requires praying, reading His Word, fasting and spending time in the quite just so you can hear Him speak. A relationship with God can be such a beautiful thing if you choose to make Him number one in your life. 

Relationships are two way streets. If we don't nurture them, they'll wither up and die just like a flower would if it had no sunlight or water. I am just as guilty as the next person of not nurturing my relationship with the Lord? What about you?

Let's make this year, a year of change as we make God number one in our lives. Let's throw out anything that distracts us and make Him at the forefront of our lives. The things on earth will not last.  Let's turn off the television, turn off the cell phone, get off social media and make our relationship with God happen. 

"Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21










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