Listen

After calling the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me and because of the good news will save them."

Mark 8:34-35

Think

“Well, that escalated quickly.”

It’s easy to forget now that crosses are everywhere – on jewelry and walls and billboards – but to Jesus and his disciples, a cross was an instrument of torture. A method of execution. It’s as if Jesus brought all of his closest friends together and told them to pick up their electric chair on the way out.

Well, that escalated quickly.

But what Jesus calls us to do is destroy the parts of our lives that are not gospel. To tear down what is not good news. To give up the parts that don’t stand for truth, love, justice, and beauty. When we do that, we will have saved our lives by losing the parts that were killing us – and we will thrive as we live with what’s left.

Allie Scott

Pray

Holy One, you knew me before I drew my very first breath. Give me the courage to let go of what is hurting me so that I may begin to really live the life you know I can have. Amen.

Go

I’m here, God. Send Me.

from Isaiah 6:8