Crosses for Christ

Crosses. I have a collection of them on my wall. And yet, if I had to choose one cross to focus on in my life, what would it be? Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23 NIV). So…what was the cross I was suppose to bare, Jesus?

In the next several days, I was reading in Marlene Bagnell’s book Write His Answers, when I came across this statement.

“Write out of your life experiences,” I felt the Lord say to me. “Make yourself transparent and vulnerable so others can see what I have done, and am doing, in your life.”

God’s declaration to Marlene seemed to capture my spirit. As I read it two or three more  times, I allowed its significance to sink into my heart. Then the Lord spoke to me personally and said:

Take up your cross and follow Me.

“Ok Lord,” was my reply

Then He came back again and said:

Take up your cross ‘pen’ and follow Me.

The instructions about what my cross was supposed to be became crystal clear.  Now, I had to make a choice. He was asking me to open up my walk with Him along with myself for others to see. Was I willing? Yes…even after considering the cost…I was ready to take up my cross pen to follow Him.

What does it really mean to take up a cross and follow Jesus? A cross is like an assignment God gives to a believer to do while he/she is here on the earth. Jesus’ cross was to die for the sins of the world and make salvation available to whosoever chose to believe in Him and what He has done. All our crosses work together towards proclaiming Jesus's salvation message until He returns again.

Are you looking for what your cross for Christ is? Let me suggest a few thoughts to help you ponder what you cross might be.

What or where is your passion? This may be a no brainer for some but check to make sure there are no emerging passions that are not fully developed yet.

What has God consistently guided you towards by the power of the Holy Spirit? It may be something you have been resistant to do none the less God keeps encouraging you to head towards that direction.

If you do not have to totally depend of Jesus to carry your cross, is it really the cross He wants you to carry? Your cross will never be about what you can do for Christ but what He wants to do through you by the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.

You may have a cross that will last for a lifetime or you may be one that has a cross for a season and then it changes with the onset of a new season. Every cross requires your all. Suffering is apart of everyone’s cross carrying journey. However, whatever your suffering ends up being, the result of persistence through it all will result in a new level of maturity you had not thought possible.