Discipleship and the Cross
“34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.'”
– Mark 8:34–35 (NKJV)
Jesus’ words in Mark 8 invite us into the tension at the heart of discipleship: the life we desire cannot be found through self-preservation, but through self-surrender. The cross He calls us to carry is not merely a symbol of suffering—it is the instrument through which our false selves are stripped away so that our true identity in Him can emerge.
Self-denial is not the rejection of our humanity but the refusal to allow ego, pride, or fear to determine our direction. The cross confronts the parts of us that cling to control, demand comfort, or resist transformation. In carrying it, we allow Christ to challenge every instinct that competes with His lordship.
The paradox Jesus offers is profound: it is possible to appear spiritually busy while still protecting the very life He seeks to reshape. Discipleship becomes authentic when we stop negotiating with God about what we will surrender and allow Him to name the parts of our lives that must die for Christlikeness to live.
Losing our lives for Christ does not diminish us; it liberates us. The cross is not an end—it is an entry point into a life formed by His courage, His compassion, and His sacrificial love.
PRAYER
Crucified Christ, disrupt every pattern in me that resists surrender. Teach me the freedom of losing my life in You. Shape me through the cross until Your character becomes my own. Amen.
JOURNAL REFLECTION
Reflect on a current struggle or place of resistance. Ask: What is the cross-shaped response here? Practice that response today, choosing surrender over self-protection.