24-26Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? (Matthew 16:24-26, The Message)
In the verse 24 New Living Translation; "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me"... wow i love the way The Message puts it, you are no longer in the driver seat and it is HE. OUR lives are no-longer bonded by our own strength, but by Jesus. It is such a wonderful transformation to see that once we deny our own life's humiliation, defeats, disappointment, setbacks and place it on the throne of Grace, how our Christian life grows!!! Pastor Andre mentioned to us something i really took care - Peter was one of the great disciple of Jesus and he was proud of it and thus collected some pride journeying with Jesus. When Jesus mentions about his coming and the suffering he must endure, Peter could not accept that and pulled Jesus aside to say this cannot be so...Jesus broke him and collapsed him - calling him Sa-tan and to get behind him (Matt 16:23).
Jesus is our cross and not another ... He allows us to fall as we continue to build a relationship with the Father to see the works of him in our lives. No outside influences will temp you away from the Grace of God and the weakness that we have we accept as we already know that God has. We follow Christ not because we have to (by law), not because we ought to (by obligation), but because you want to (by grace).
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