Imagine hearing about this man who people thought might be the coming Messiah. You are poor. Hurting. Indebted to a Roman government. Looking for hope, you make a journey to hear this man called Jesus speak. And what does this man say to your hope-starved soul? “If you want to follow me, pick up your cross first.”
People hearing these words knew exactly what the cross represented. They had seen crucifixions. They were all too familiar with their anguish. And now here is their Messiah telling them that the path to following him is on the other side of that very cross. It’s a wonder anyone followed him at all.
But that’s the thing about the Kingdom of Jesus. It has always been about service. It has always been about giving and not getting. It has always been about surrender. It is an upside down Kingdon that has been about sacrifice.
So how do you do it? How do you live a life of sacrifice?
- Commit – You make a commitment that following Jesus is going to cost you something.
- Pray – Prayer is what keeps the branch (us) attached to the vine (Jesus).
- Plan – It is not by chance that plan follows prayer. You don’t plan first and then tell Jesus what you are willing to sacrifice, you pray first to hear from him and then plan to accomplish what he puts inside of your heart.
- Surrender – You reminder yourself that everything you have – finances, family, health, the breath in your lungs – all flows from him.
“Behind every great movement of God there is a group of people who sacrificed.” -Jeff Sharp