And He summoned
the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come
after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
- Mark
8:34
Just before going to bed this
scripture popped into my head. I was writing in my journal and it seriously
just stuck. It's also been something that God has been continually putting into
my time with Him. Constantly He's been trying to get this idea across: Are you
doing everything for me or are you partially for me and yourself?
In the Greek, the word "ἀπαρνησάσθω” or “he must deny,” can
literally mean “he must renounce claim to.” I think this translation is
absolutely essential to what a disciple must do. I believe it is at the point
when we as Christians start living for ourselves that we find serious problems.
According to what Jesus said, we have to follow Christ and give God the calls
to every area of our lives, not just some of them. As the text writes, we “must
renounce claim to” ourselves.
If
a disciple does not give up his life for Christ, is he really following after
him and giving him complete control? Or is he just partially walking the
Christian life like the Church at Laodicea was doing? Just a thing to think
about.
