7/11/25 Taking Up the Cross

Takeaway: The Christian life is not self-improvement, but rather it is death to self and new life in Christ.

Opening Prayer (Friday)

God, as this week comes to a close, I ask for endurance to finish strong. Keep my heart steadfast, my mind focused on You, and my spirit at peace in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection

The Christian life is not an upgraded version of one’s self. It is not an improved moral behavior nor a more religious version of who we used to be. According to Paul, it is death and resurrection. In Galatians 2:20, Paul confessed what it means to belong to Christ: “I have been crucified with Christ.” These words are deeply theological, profoundly personal, and utterly transformative. To be crucified with Christ is to declare that our old self has been nailed to the cross. This is not simply a metaphor. It is the radical reorientation of our entire lives around Jesus, who now lives in us.

Taking up the cross means more than enduring life’s hardships or carrying burdens. It means identifying with the death of Christ in such a way that our very identity is altered. The cross is not an accessory we wear; it is a relinquishing of the illusion that our life belongs to us. Sacrificial discipleship begins with the laying down of our self-centered ambitions.

This kind of life requires faith that Jesus truly knows better than we do. We live by faith in the One who “loved me and gave himself for me.” This is the heartbeat of sacrificial discipleship: love. The cross was the ultimate demonstration of Christ’s love, and when we are united with Him in His death, we begin to live driven by that same love. We no longer serve to earn God’s favor; we serve because we’ve already received it. We no longer give in fear of scarcity; we give because we’ve been given everything. The sacrificial life becomes the joyful life, because we are no longer trying to preserve what we were never meant to keep.

Yet, let us be honest—this life is costly. It means forgiving when we’d rather hold a grudge. It means giving when we’ve already have given so much. It means being misunderstood, rejected, or overlooked. It means loving our enemies and praying for those who hurt us. But in the loss, we discover gain. In dying, we find life. The cross does not end in the grave; it ends in resurrection. Christ lives in us now, not only as our example, but our hope, and our indwelling strength. The life we now live is not our own, it is His.

Questions

How does identifying with Christ’s death reshape the way you understand your identity?

Where in your life is God calling you to embrace sacrificial love today?

Application

Look for one opportunity each day to practice sacrificial love: forgiving, serving quietly, or offering generosity without recognition. Let the reminder of Christ in you give you strength and joy in the surrender.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, You gave Yourself for me, not to make me better, but to make me new. Help me to lay down my old self and take up my new self through the cross with faith and love. Teach me to live not for myself, but for You, who lives in me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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