Mark 8:34

Monday 1/16/12

Mark 8:34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Interpretation:

     There are three things that Jesus lists here. One is to take up our cross, one is to follow Him, but the first thing Jesus lists before those two is to deny ourselves. You see, Jesus didn’t say “Whoever desires to come after me just take up your cross and follow Me.” No, He first says to deny yourself – not the bad things about yourself, but just “yourself.” Many times, I don’t deny myself completely; but still try to help God with His work in my life when He says it’s all Him and that nothing good dwells in me. I continuously struggle with the lie that if I am praying harder, reading more of the Bible, or trying harder to hear God’s voice that I would be a tad bit more pleasing to Him. But He doesn’t ask me to do that. Granted, that should become a natural part of my life – but not when I’m struggling so hard to do it. Jesus says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. And only when I completely deny all of myself will there be room for Him to empower me to carry my cross and follow Him. Then, and only then, will the struggle of taking up my cross give way to peace and joy as I follow Him.

Application:

     While I still need to submit to Him and obey God, I need to realize that there is nothing I can do to quicken or help God do the work in me that only He can do. I will pray to God in the morning, telling Him that there is nothing I can offer or promise Him, but ask Him to help me reckon myself dead and to fill me with His Spirit so that anything good that I do will be of His Spirit working in me and not of my own flesh trying to prove it can be spiritual.