March 31 | Luke 9:23

“Then he said to everyone, ‘If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

We often don’t realize the cost of discipleship, of following Jesus and learning from Him. Nobody likes to talk about sacrifice and persecution, suffering through trials of various kinds. We dislike it so much the church in the West barely talks about sacrifice.

But Jesus tells you the opposite of what many pastors and churches preach and teach today. Part of His call to be His disciple demands you take up your cross every day to follow Him. We live a life of surrender and sacrifice. You can’t follow Jesus if you don’t sacrifice your own desires, goals, and agenda every day.

Living the life of surrender is hard. It requires absolute faith in Jesus for your everything. Your daily needs, desires, hopes, and fears rest on Him, not you. David describes this relationship as the Shepherd who takes care and every need His sheep have in Psalm 23.

When you lean completely on Jesus, you live life on a different level. You don’t have fears because you trust Jesus’s plan for your life, that He will not put you in danger He cannot protect you from. Your fears are wrapped up in His long arms.

You can give every area of your life to Jesus. Don’t compartmentalize your life and think Jesus is not watching. Give it all up, and He will never lead you astray.

Action Step: Give your agenda, goals, and desires to Jesus today, and watch Him lead you where He wants you to go. Surrender your life today to Jesus’s will.

Lord Jesus, I want to walk where You want me to walk, to do what You want me to do, and to say what You want me to say. My life belongs to You. I surrender everything I am and have to You.