The One with "The Verse"

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

I call this "The Verse" because it has smacked me in the face for the past two days repeatedly.  First, it was in my "Made to Crave" devotional yesterday, where I was reminded that I must deny myself foods that I crave just like the disciples had to deny themselves in order to follow Jesus.  I must deny myself the things that I "think" I need, but really, I don't.  Jesus didn't need jalapeno poppers, Big Macs, or Butterfinger Blizzards, to name a few. So, I don't either.  This is not to say that I will NEVER have anything that I crave, but it shouldn't be put first. God should be put first. 

 Which brings me to today. This verse was in our L.I.F.E. group lesson, too! I am already humbled by the fact that it's Easter and all that it stands for, but as we made our way through the lesson, "The Verse" hit me in another way.  BACKTRACK: Last week, I was convicted to go back to NYC this summer for a mission trip to help The Gallery Church, and touch lives in such a populated area. I have been mulling this over all week: how in the WORLD am I going to afford to go? If Stephen (my husband) goes too, and maybe even Ryan (my son), how am I going to afford it then? Can I raise the money? Can I save enough? FAST FORWARD to TODAY: "The Verse" 

Matthew 16:24 

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

Whoah.  So I should deny myself other things in order to be able to go to NYC? Yes.  I should follow him to NYC no matter if I'm scared about paying for it? Yes.  Jesus' disciples didn't worry about anything, they just WENT.  This goes back to what our priorities should be. God, Spouse, Children, everything and everyone else. I'm not going to lie. It's hard to comprehend this, but it's true.  The older I get and the closer to God that I get, I understand this more and more.  Be warned: you WILL receive flack from family, from friends, from colleagues,  and so on.  Guess what though--we're not answering to those people.  There's only one person we are going to have to answer to. Yep, that's right--God.  One of my L.I.F.E. group leaders says this on numerous occasions: "I don't want to get in front of God one day, thinking I had done everything that pleased God, and then hear him say, 'Well done, child. You lived and followed me well with what you did. But I had this for you to do, I had this path for you to follow."

Can you imagine? Not doing what you were called to do? 

That is why we must deny ourselves. Not just in giving up food cravings we have, but in making things happen that God calls us to do.  I want God to say to me one day, "Well done, child. You did what I called you to do."

  

I'll leave you with that thought, and also a wish for a very Happy Easter for you and your families!