Follow Me

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34 (NLT)

This passage sounds a little harsh and brash where it says “turn from your selfish ways” and at first read, it makes me recoil a little in disgust. “Who says that my ways are selfish anyway?” my thought process wants to ask, but right there is the very essence of selfishness. It's the selfless person who acknowledges their selfishness. It's the humble person that recognises their pride. You see it's sin that separates us from God but pride that keeps us from Him. Jesus paid the price for sin, so sin is no longer the issue but pride continues to hamper man from a real connection with God. “But I'm a good person, shouldn't that qualify me for heaven?”. The Bible says nothing about being good to be saved. The Bible does teach us to accept the work of Jesus (notice it's His work…not ours!) to receive salvation. Pride wants to make it in it's own strength and not rely on anyone else for help. But our own strength, our own flesh, is flawed by the nature of sin and so we need the overcoming power of Christ to help us. To ultimately save us. In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul writes that it's in his own weakness that God is made strong. To the humble, turning from your selfish ways seems like the right and natural response…and is what makes you humble! 1 Peter 5 says that “…God gives grace to the humble…”…it's ironic that in 2 Corinthians 12, right before Paul writes “when I am weak, I am strong” He reveals that God spoke to him saying “my grace is sufficient for you…” God's grace and our humility are interlinked. Choose God's help today; it will make you strong! God bless…