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By: Jeremy Lyzenga
You may listen to this devotion in audio form via podcast here.
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”
While this is not the prescribed text according to our lectionary for today, it is one that zings straight across the surface of my heart right now due to a couple of personal experiences in my life, so please bear with me. (Oh, and it’s a great Lenten text.)
Without divulging all the specific details, I had a conversation recently with a very close friend who is trying to counsel a seasoned Christian, whose life has led him to a state of being very confused, and let’s say morally compromised. Biblically speaking, it seems very clear that this person has gone wayward, but in the midst of conversation with my friend this person stated to him “Well, what am I supposed to do, just deny myself?”
Another situation is very dear to my heart and also involves a person who by my estimation, is currently wayward and confused especially when I try to examine their lifestyle and recent decisions in light of Biblical principles and Godly wisdom. And this person as well is adopting a posture of “Well, what about me? It’s my turn to do what I want, I’m done trying to please everyone else. It’s time for me to be happy.”
There is so much muddled truth, and half-baked “life wisdom” in the world today. And we Christians are not immune from being taken in by it. But it’s easy to see how this happens in a social media driven, and self-focused society. Truth is twisted & distorted to meet our latest convenience, to satisfy our need to feel “ok” or even to justify sinful action when we can’t face the music. True and Godly Wisdom is watered down, and then is oftentimes regurgitated back to us in colorful cliches plastered all over Facebook and Instagram. “Live your best life because you only live once.” “Follow your heart wherever it takes you.” “Just be true to yourself.”
However, our Savior paints us quite the contrasting picture when he says something along these lines:
“Oh, you want real life do you? True happiness? Lasting satisfaction? Good. That’s what I want for you too. So, here’s how you get it.
"Die.
"Just die…
"Come follow me and die to your own desires. Die to anything else that might threaten your relationship with me. Die even to your very self. Take up your cross, and follow me. THAT is where you will find life. That is where you will find true peace, true joy, true satisfaction, true life.”
Somewhere along the line this terrible, beautiful, horrible, wonderful simple message has been lost in so many corners of Christianity today. Jesus never promised happiness, or ease, or a worry-free, cake-walk-in-the-park kind of life. He did say things like, “In this world you WILL have trouble, BUT take heart, for I have overcome the world.” This is the message of Good Friday, and the message of Easter. True life. Resurrection life, for the here and now, and, yes, in eternity one day as well, is only found one way: “Deny yourself.” No, it won’t be easy. “Take up your cross.” In fact, this might really hurt. “And follow me.” Because in the end it will be infinitely worth it.
** Note** For a challenging, but rewarding read further along these lines, pick up a copy of “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.