By[23] “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” – Luke 9:23 (NIV)
There are believers in Christ. And there are disciples in Christ. These two are different kinds of people. The former are those who have just believed in Jesus and have been saved. But the latter are those who obey what Jesus said in Luke 9:23 as they follow Him ardently.
According to Jesus, if you want to be His disciple, you must do two primary things.
- Deny yourself.
- Take up your cross and follow Him.
I searched for the meaning of ‘disciple’ from Strong’s Concordance, and it means, ‘student.’ Have you seen a student teaching his teacher what to teach? Of course not. It’s always the teacher who knows what he has to teach more than the student.
In the same way, in Christ, your Master is Jesus. He knew you before you came to this world (see Jeremiah 1:5). Your destiny is in the palm of His hands. That is why when He saves you, He wants you to submit to Him. Whoever you submit to will lead you. So if you’re a believer and you’ve not submitted to Jesus, you’re missing out big time in your life.
Are you really a disciple of Jesus? Or are you one of those students who sign up for courses yet fail to attend classes and follow after the course consistently? Use the two things Jesus said His disciples will do to evaluate your life.
Deny yourself. Take out your private ambitions and follow Jesus wholeheartedly. It is He who knows what to do to help you fulfil your destiny in Him.
You’re a blessing.
Prayer:
Father, help me to follow hard after You despite the numerous offers life brings about to ward off my track of destiny. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Devotional Code: KGD – 2024 – 120
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