“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23
“How long will you be in Virginia?” people have been asking me since I arrived on my first stop in going full-time on the road for the Lord and ministry. It’s a perfectly understandable and ordinary question, isn’t it? But the answer isn’t so ordinary in the world in which we live, is it?
“Oh,” I tell people easily, simply, clearly, without hesitation. “I don’t know. I’ll be here as long or as short as the Lord wants.”
For a woman who has lived most of her life in the flesh, according to my own wishes, wants, and ways, this is in fact extraordinary. And for a woman who for so long had such exceedingly weak faith despite my hunger and passion for the Lord, this is also extraordinary. But I have learned that followers of Christ must deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Jesus, saying no to ourselves and yes to God, not placing our trust in ourselves and others, but placing our trust in Christ, not living for us but living for Him.
Is it scary to learn to live by faith? Yes! Is it different? Yes! Is it crazy in the eyes of the world? Yes! But it is also wildly beautiful, infinitely amazing, and powerfully awesome! How so?
The more we deny ourselves and live for Christ, the more we follow after Him, the more we walk and live and breathe and grow in fellowship with Him, the closer we can be to Him. Oh, how splendorous it is to chase after the Lord Jesus Christ instead of living for self. How beautiful, how awesome, how glorious is the Lord!
Are you living or Christ? For yourself? Is it time to make a change?