A Bible verse that comes to my mind very often is the teaching of Jesus, If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 9:23).
I’ve learned that it’s more of a state of mind than a physical reality in my life, but even as a state of mind, it’s still a real teaching of Jesus, so as such, how can I apply it?
I take the teaching to mean that a true follower of Jesus is supposed to be ready at all times to sacrifice what they desire for what God desires, even to the point of death.
The tricky part for us is that, as a rule, we are more reactionary creatures than we are intentional. What I mean is that we typically take life as it comes and do not plan things we know will be difficult, but there are exceptions. Like what?
Vacation Bible School is an exception. We know that it will be challenging, but we plan it and do it anyway. Why? Because we know that evangelism is God’s will for us. We could do many things we find more enjoyable, but we choose the harder thing because we are called to deny ourselves and follow Jesus.
Foreign missions is another exception. When I go to Honduras, I know that on a few levels, it will be very difficult for me. But I love that choosing to do something I don’t have to do is a way that I can prove to myself and prove to God that I care more about His will than my comfort.
An added perk to these examples is that when we choose to do them, God blesses us in ways we can’t imagine. He has graciously built inner peace, comfort and blessings into our obedience. He gives a satisfaction that selfish pursuits of personal pleasure will never bring.
And will we ever have to pick up a literal cross and carry it to the place of our execution because of our obedience to Christ? I doubt it. But will we ever be called to do things that are difficult in order to be obedient to Christ? Absolutely. I would even go as far as saying that’s a very good definition of what it means to be a true follower of Jesus.
If you would like to make a contribution to the mission work in Honduras, please see me before Rex and I leave. We’ll travel to Tulsa June 10th and fly to Honduras June 11th.
Much love!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
