Oh Matthew....

Yes, I am behind on my blogging as I have been kindly reminded of =) However, I have an excuse: First week of classes. With that excuse alone, I do not feel the need to elaborate....I'm sure you can understand the stress and lack of time I have had.

Anyways, on to the point of this post:

This week, Matthew 16:24-27 has really been on my mind. For some reason, this passage has been on my heart and I have really been meditating on it. I have been reminded over and over of this passage through people, meetings and other life happenings, and so I have really been putting thought into this scripture.

Here is what it says:

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up
his cross and follow me.For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."

Wow. Those words are just beautiful. I love just reading this over and over again.

I know this is a familiar passage to most, but so often times I over look the power picture painted by these beautiful words.

He says pick UP your cross and follow me....not burn your cross and carry the ashes, drag your cross, or even have someone carry it for you...he says YOU, pick UP your cross, and follow me.

This cross is not a light thing. It is heavy. It is painful. It is tiring, frustrating, stressful and not encouraging. But he says to carry it:

As followers of Christ, we are going to come across things in our lives that are not fun to deal with and are painful, both physically and emotionally, and we will want to run in the opposite direction.

But be encouraged by this: This "cross" that you are carrying has a purpose. At the end of the road, this pain you have will be laid down and you will be face to face with the Creator himself. You will no longer be pained by the things of this world, but instead encouraged by the Father himself.

Yes, life is hard. Yes, it is painful. But we are to forget about ourselves, and face the challenges of life and we are to carry them and know that we are being built and shaped into the children God desires for us to be.

What a beautiful reminder as the "New Year" begins (well, new for me and a lot of people anyways!)
There are going to be things that I face that I will want to turn and run from. But I must carry this cross knowing that when I lay down myself, I will see Christ, and that is worth more than this life will ever know.