In our last post, The Language of the Heart, we spoke about the intimacy of talking with God. But for “the Faith People,” that conversation eventually leads to a specific, life-altering command. It is the call to follow—not just in words, but in a way of life that looks fundamentally different from the world around us.
A Life Out of Step
The essence of Christian living is to take up the Cross. Jesus doesn’t call us to a life of ease; He calls us to a life of impact
Christian living is often marketed today as a path to personal optimization or a life of ease. But the Bible presents a different reality. The Christian life promises immense blessings, yes, but it is a path paved with sacrifice, surrender, and even suffering. To follow Christ is to live “out of step” with this world. Jesus died so we could live a redeemed life, but He also called us to a specific kind of death. Believers die to their own interests, priorities, and plans—surrendering what this world values to seek what Christ honors. As the saying goes, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Counting the Cost
Jesus never used “fine print” to hide the difficulty of discipleship. In fact, He used extreme language to ensure we understood the weight of the call. He spoke of “hating” one’s own family and even one’s own life in comparison to our devotion to Him (Luke 14:26). He wasn’t calling us to literal hatred, but to a love for God so supreme that every other affection looks like hate by comparison.
He warned potential followers to count the cost (Luke 14:25-35). Discipleship is not a casual hobby; it is denying oneself (Mark 8:34) and carrying a cross (Luke 9:23; 14:27). In the Roman world, carrying a cross meant one thing: you were on a one-way journey to die. For us, it means the death of the “Self” as the king of our lives.
The Magnitude of the Gain
Why would anyone choose this? Because the path to true blessing involves sacrifice. When we see the magnitude of God’s love at the Cross of Calvary, any earthly loss is transformed into eternal gain.
The “glamorous sparkle” of this world—money, fame, comfort—cannot compare with the eternal riches found in Christ. The call to self-denial is actually a mercy; it exposes our destructive “love affair with self” and beckons us toward something infinitely greater. Jesus is worth whatever following Him costs.
Seeking His Perfect Will
God calls us to surrender our “good” plans for His “perfect” will. Throughout history, faithful men and women have displayed this unwavering devotion, following His lead even through difficulties. This is how we take up the cross: by choosing God’s pleasure over our own comfort every single day.
On the flip side, a refusal to take up the cross reveals a faulty faith. If comfort is our primary pursuit, we aren’t building God’s Kingdom; we are trying to maintain our own. Putting ourselves first is the oldest sin in the book: idolatry. A life built on self-interest stands on shifting sand, but a life built on the sacrificial path of Jesus stands on an unwavering Rock.
A Call to the Believers
Carrying the cross is not a call to be miserable; it is a call to holy, eternal vision. A believer who lives a sacrificial, God-first life possesses an enduring joy that the world cannot touch, even amid struggles. If you face hardship or even persecution for your faith, take heart—it is often an indicator that you are progressing along God’s righteous path.
I challenge you today: Audit your priorities. Where are you choosing comfort over obedience? What “plank” of self-interest do you need to lay down so you can pick up your cross? Remember, any loss suffered on earth for Christ’s sake is merely a down payment on an eternal weight of glory.
Reflect: Is your current lifestyle a reflection of “Self-First” or “Christ-First”? What is one specific area where you can seek His will over your comfort today?
Next Step:
Living the “God-First” life inevitably puts us in conflict with a world that doesn’t know Him. Join me in the next post: The Christian Response. (How we engage a world that opposes our King).