📍 Real connection with Christ starts with surrender. Many of us want closeness with God, but we don’t want to let go of control. We crave His peace but still cling to our plans. The truth is, you can’t hold onto both. Real connection with God begins the moment you surrender; not just when you’ve cleaned up your life, memorized a verse, or earned approval.
In Luke 9, Jesus is preparing His disciples for the reality of following Him. Verse 23 is a powerful call to self-denial and daily commitment, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.' That’s not a casual ask, it's a radical call (not surface-level). It’s a call to die to one's self, not momentarily, but daily. Jesus tells His followers that to truly follow Him, they must be willing to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him.'Take up the cross daily,' what did Jesus mean?
During that time, the Cross was a brutal instrument of death used by the Roman Empire for criminals and rebels. It was public, humiliating, and painful. To ‘carry your cross’ meant you were on your way to die. So when Jesus said ‘take up your cross daily,’ His listeners would’ve heard: 'Be willing to lay down your life, your comfort, your control, your pride, to follow Me.' Understand the impact of this statement now? Talk about trust and commitment!
Even though Jesus spoke those words in a different era, the
meaning still stands today, daily surrender, dying to self (our
ego, pride, selfishness, need for control), and choosing His way over our
own. It’s not a 'just for the moment' decision, but a daily, intentional
choice to put God first, no matter the cost.
Side note: Surrender isn’t about weakness. It’s about trust.
It’s saying, 'Jesus, I’m done running the show. I need You in every part of
this.' It’s where the walls drop, the striving ends, and the real
intimacy begins. In John 15:4, Jesus urges us to 'remain in Me, and I will remain in
you.' But remaining in Him means releasing the
things that keep us distant; our pride, our fear, our agenda... We want
Jesus, but sometimes we still want to be lord over our own life. That’s where
the disconnection happens. But when you finally let go, even if it’s messy,
tearful, or terrifying, you’ll find He’s been waiting for you the whole time.
So...
💠Stop striving.
💠Start
surrendering.
💠That’s
where the real connection begins💗.
Let's Pray: Dear Jesus, You didn’t hold anything back and I
don’t want to either. Help me to let go of my need for control, comfort,
and approval. Please teach me how to die to my own way so I can truly live in
Yours. Give me the strength to take up my cross daily to follow You when
it’s hard, when it costs something, and when no one else understands. I
don’t want halfway faith. I want a heart that follows You fully, boldly,
faithfully, and with love that reflects Yours. Please lead me today. I’m all in.
Love you Lord, In Jesus name, Amen.🙏
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