Follow Me!

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
Matthew 16:24

King Solomon has been described as the wisest man who ever lived. he was given great wisdom by God which he used to rule the people. In the book of Ecclesiastes, he describes his search for the true meaning of life. In this quest, he found many things to be meaningless. The pursuit of earthly possessions, wealth, and pleasures, he said, are meaningless. Solomon experimented with earthly pleasures to an extent that none of us ever will. He said that he did not deny himself any pleasure. But in the end, it proved meaningless. It did not satisfy his heart.
    When Jesus uttered the words written above, he was addressing this very subject. He is saying that it is impossible to pursue pleasures and follow him at the same time. Fist, we must have the desire to go after him. If this is not the single most important thing in our lives, we certainly will not follow him well. When we deny ourselves, we are making a statement that the kingdom of God is far more important than the things that satisfy our flesh. And when we take up our cross, we are renouncing our self-centered life and ambitions in favor of his kingdom and his plans. When we have done these things, we are truly followers of Christ and we experience the fullness of his kingdom, even now.
    What is important? Is it where we live, what we wear, how we look, or what job we have, that validates our lives? No, these things are temporary. When we die, they are handed to someone else. We have gained nothing. Following Christ in every area of our lives is an eternal blessing. No one can take it from us. It will not fail because of the economy, or disaster, or tragedy.
    When the disciples chose to follow Christ, they left everything; jobs, careers, families, and homes. Even these would not interfere with the call to follow Jesus. I am not suggesting that we must do these things to please God. I am simply saying that our decision processes must involve God first. Where we go, what we do, and how we live, are secondary to the call to follow him with all our hearts.
    I want to be in the center of God's will for my life. I don't want to stray from that at all. If it involves the loss of my stuff, I am good with that. I determined a long time ago that what God wants for me far exceeds what I want.
    Are you willing to follow him? If so, consider the fact that it will involve denying yourself and taking up your cross. There is eternal reward for those who will truly be followers of Christ.