“…Jesus said unto his disciples, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24 KJV).

Following Jesus is costly. Jesus made that abundantly clear from the very beginning. He told those who wanted to follow Him, to make sure that they first counted the cost (Luke 14:28-33). He wanted them to know that following Him not only required the “denying of ourselves” but it also required the “death of ourselves” (Romans 6:6). Our lives must be “nailed to the cross (Gal. 2:20). Only then can we be resurrected to a “new life” (Rom. 6:5). Jesus exemplified this with His own life (John 12: 24-26). It was only after His death on the cross that Jesus would be a resurrected! Many who express a desire to follow Jesus want the resurrection, (the new life), but they do not want the cross. But we cannot have one without the other.

But once that happens everything changes (2 Cor. 5:17). Our lives are transformed from being self centered to being Christ centered. We care more about what please Him than what pleases us. Our greatest pleasure in life is found in seeking Him, knowing Him and experiencing Him. Following Jesus is not centered upon us. It is centered upon Him. And yet though that we find the greatest joy and satisfaction in life!
It is there that we discover the joy of His Presence. It is there that we discover the wonder of His Grace and His love. It is there that we experience the Peace of His forgiveness! It is there that we finally discover the life that we always wanted. A life filled will meaning, purpose and hope! It is there that we discover our reason for living!
The English writer G. K. Chesterton said it well: “The Christian life has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” I would encourage you to follow Jesus! It is worth everything it costs!

James W. Black