Christy discusses a tragic but common mistake among believers today, and how to get back on track when you realize you’ve made it. 

-Transcript Below-

Most of my life I’ve heard  “take up your cross and follow Jesus” which is to say, make God’s goal your goal, no matter the cost.  And daily we see people taking up their cross in what they view as a means of doing just that, following Jesus.  But nowadays, in looking at some the ways people profess to follow Him,  I’m reminded that there was more than one cross up on that hill.  And sometimes, we need to see if the cross we are carrying  really represents his goal – or if it just represents ours. 

Because It is a tragic thing to misrepresent the Father. To find yourself going into battle under the banner of his name – and then to realize you are in a battle He does not sanction or condone, and sometimes even actively stands against. 

Being a believer means we have to examine ourselves critically on a daily basis. Each day, we HAVE to line our behavior up to the straight edge of His word. Ours is a daily, step by step faith. We can’t just show up for marching orders one or two days a week. Each day we have to decide if we are going to follow Him or blaze our own trail.

Following Him means He alone sets the standard. 

He alone is our true north.

His kingdom is the only kingdom we serve and represent. 

So we gotta examine those crosses we’re carrying. Are they really his? Or somewhere along the way did we set His cross down for a minute, pick up the wrong one and keep on going?  There have been times where we’ve all found ourselves carrying crosses that didn’t represent Him. Somedays it feels like we’re actively looking for pet projects, controversies, and doctrines to promote. 

As if the gospel of Christ isn’t enough. 

As if the miracle of who he is and what he offers is not enough. 

As if loving our neighbors isn’t really the challenge we’re interested in. 

The problem is, when we carry these other crosses, they take us away from Father, while making us think we are growing closer. And even worse, they cause our witness to be a false version of him.  We hold up causes that he would not endorse. We exhibit behavior that he does not sanction. We focus on things that do nothing to show the love of Jesus or advance the gospel, and we drive people away from Him. Planting seeds that choke out righteous fruit. 

Jesus said the path is narrow, and few find it. So that tells us that there is a greater chance of you or I being lost than it is of us being found right now. That is a sobering thought and we owe it to ourselves to sit with it a while and let it really sink in. 

If you’re not loving people, 

if you’re not serving others,

 if you’re not spreading the gospel, 

When people look at what you post 

and how you speak and how you live 

and don’t walk away feeling more loved by Jesus as a result, 

it’s time to humble ourselves, repent, 

lay down our personal crosses, and turn back to the King.

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Christy Jordan
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