Take Up Your Cross

As I lay this morning in the quiet solitude of my bedroom, which rarely ever happens, I took the time to read from the Word. I have been reading chronologically through it this year. I am currently reading about the life of the Son. A few days I read about His final entrance into the City before His death. Today's reading was about His final evening.

The Son was teaching His followers about His eminent crucifixion. His followers said that they would follow Him even unto death. They proclaimed to Him their undying devotion. A short while later they went together to the Garden. Out of His struggle, He went away to pray and asked His followers to do the same. Oddly enough, they were willing to go to death with Him, but they could not stay awake to pray.

How like us (me) is that?  I often am willing to do the big things but struggle over the "little" acts of obedience.

I also was struck by the love of the Son towards those He knew would betray Him. He knew exactly who was going to betray Him, and yet He lived with the betrayer for three years and even served him.   He knew who would deny Him three times, and yet He insisted that He must wash the denier's feet.

People are often put in our lives as a tool of sanctification for us, and we are in their lives as a tool of their sanctification as well. How often do we dismiss them from our lives because we don't like it? We don't like the drama. We don't like the sanctification process. It would be so much nicer if we could just go from the day of justification to heaven, but it does not work that way. The Refiner's fire burns!

Let us pray for eyes to see what the Father sees and to have a heart that is willing to be molded rather than running from it. Let us take up our cross daily.