No More "I'll Take It From Here"

READ 
Luke 9:23 

CONSIDER  
Jesus gives us the terms of the arrangement: "Deny yourself, pick up your cross daily, and follow me." This is where the rubber meets the road. Denying yourself means you have to die to your own desires, your own will, and your sense of control. 

It’s the opposite of "I’ll take it from here." Taking up the cross isn't just dealing with a bad back or a difficult boss. The cross was an instrument of death. Jesus is saying we have to die to the right to run our own lives. We surrender the right to get revenge. We surrender the right to be right. 

Jesus didn’t take on the weight of the world’s sin so we could live however we want. He calls us to follow him, and his path was one of total surrender to the Father. If we want his life, we have to give up ours. 

REFLECT 
The churchy word for this is consecration. There comes a point where we stop negotiating with God and just say "Yes." We give Him everything—our past, our present, our future, our rights – our whole selves. It’s the necessary step for a heart that wants to be made holy. 

PRAY 
Lord, I’m done trying to be the boss of my own life. I lay down my rights. I surrender my will to Yours. I’m picking up my cross to follow You today. Amen.