Monday, April 11, 2011

The Friendship of God has a Cost

Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of Him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.            Luke 9:23-26

A long time ago, I realized the harder I tried doing what Jesus asks of me the more I failed. The more I worked at it the more I saw my limitations and short comings. I finally threw up my hands and said, “I can’t do it. I need help!” I had reached a crisis point in my life. Was I willing to push aside my pride and self-centeredness? Was I willing (as C.S. Lewis wrote) to tell them where to get off.


It was at this juncture (I am broken Lord and need your help) that I opened the doors and windows of my heart and let the wind of God blow through to restore, refresh, and recreate me. Only then, after His spring cleaning, did the Spirit of Jesus come along side to help me succeed where I had failed so many times before.

With His forgiveness, His resources, and His power I could start accomplishing what He asks of me:

a) “Deny yourself.” - His will be done not mine

b) “Take up your cross daily” – literally crucify (put to death) my pride and self-centeredness.

c) “Follow Me” – Do as he would do. See others through His eyes (Sacrificial Love).

We cannot be followers of Jesus until we abandon our self-centeredness and let the wind of God fill our sails. Bruce Cockburn sings, “I’ll be a Child of the Wind for the rest of my days” and from the lyric of Grandma Wickens’ favourite hymn it says, I feel the Wind of God today…”

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