(Matt. 16:24) "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." There is a price to pay to truly walk with God. 1) Deny yourself. To deny means to place your will and plans 2nd to the will and plans of God for your life. Jesus is waiting for you to do this. 2) Carry your cross. Jesus already carried his. Jesus expects those thatcome after him to endure the same hardship by obeying his will, even if it means rejection, persecution, and the death that he endured for us on his cross. 3) Follow him.To follow means you have to stop trying to lead. You can't properly follow until you totally surrender yourself to the direction of God. (Matt. 16:25) "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." The end result of life will totally depend on the amount of you that you surrender or pay back to God. Losing your selfish life to gain his bountiful life is well worth the cost. So, why hold on so tightly to that which you can't keep anyway?
