There are six words I constantly think of as a Christian, a minister, and a guide for my students. I didn’t invent them; I am not the first to use them nor hope to be the last.
The first of these words is “commit”. Everyone must decide what they will be dedicated to. There is not a choice of whether or not to be committed to something. You will either be devoted to the world or committed to Jesus. “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:15-16)
You and I have a choice to make each day. What will I be committed to?
Jesus did something incredible on the cross for all of humanity. He chose to deny himself and gave up his entire life to be a sacrifice for everyone else. Before Jesus did this, he gave this teaching to us in Matthew 16:24: “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Jesus explained this to you, me, and all the rest of earth. You must decide that your life belongs to Jesus and him alone. Every day, we are faced with the temptation to live our lives in search of the things that we want as opposed to what God wants. However, Jesus clarifies that to be faithful followers of Jesus, we must do as he did and take up our cross. Jesus carried his cross literally and died on that cross. It is a symbolic cross that we are called to carry each day. Our cross is actively choosing God’s way when it contradicts our own. It means carrying His name to all the earth through our actions, thoughts, and words.