The 40 pound weight on your shoulders has lifted. You can move your extremities again and your mind can recollect itself. Suddenly, your mouth no longer feels like cotton balls were stuffed in it during a dental procedure. This is the relief your body feels when your plane lands after a turbulent ride or when GPS announces “arrived” after a several hour drive.
We all have this idea that if we complete the degree, land the perfect job, find the spouse, have kids, build the house with the white picket fence, or meet a set goal in our money market account we have then “arrived”.
The reality is we will never feel like we have “arrived” or that we are enough.
There will always be something bigger, something better, and something we feel like we must do next in order to “make it”. It is often after this realization we then seek Jesus. We try to do “good things” and work through our Christian checklist.
Prayer. Check.
Devotional. Check.
Tithe. Check.
Serve. Check.
But even this does not lead to feeling “arrived.” Time and time again we see in the Bible Jesus will use the words, “deny yourself” and “take up your cross.” In both Matthew 16 and Luke 9, similar words were spoken from Jesus:
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.
Three things are very clear. 1. We must deny ourselves. 2. We must take up our cross and follow him. 3. Is the word, daily.
1. To deny ourselves. Ouch. In our “pick me” (as my teenagers say) society it is difficult to even consider the idea of not putting ourselves first. Probably the only people who even come remotely close to this are missionaries and mothers before their kids move out. I know very few moms who even have a minute to breathe let alone shower or think about themselves. As mothers we put the needs and often wants of our little people before us. We even let them eat before we eat their measly scraps when necessary. But to deny ourselves is even deeper. Consider this instead:
Who comes first; me or Jesus?
2. Take up your cross. Many of us know that Jesus had to carry his cross to be crucified but this was not something that happened for the first time in history. Having an offender carry his cross to be crucified was already an occurrence during this time and was often the punishment for the lowest of criminals. This term has been linked over the years with many ideals such as the problems we face, the suffering we will endure, a burden to carry, etc. To take up your cross and follow me is also even deeper; have you considered this:
Are you willing to surrender to Jesus even if it means to lose it all?
3. Daily. We must answer these two questions every single day. We can’t make the choice once every five years, but must live it out every single day.
This is not meant to discourage, but to encourage us to live in an even more deeper relationship with Christ. Our relationship with Christ isn’t meant to be the “lifeline” from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire or the aunt you call when you desperately need a favor. In a marriage or any relationship the two must be in fairly constant communication to be connected. When we only call our friends every once in a while we miss out on the day to day happenings. Sadly, this is my status with most of my friends as we are all in that busy season of life. But if I were to treat my husband or children with the same communication, my marriage would fail and my children would grow distant. Therefore, it is imperative to have a daily communication with each of them. The more conversation, the closer and more connected we are.
The more conversations you have with God, the closer and more connected you are.
God wants our conversation. It is not until we are willing to choose Him and surrender it all every day will we be able to say, “I have arrived.” Are you willing?
