Discipleship and the Cross

In order to be His disciple, Jesus said to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him. The cross is essential for the Christian, yet many churches hardly speak about it. The cross is not some burden we must bear in our own strength in order to prove how devout we are—not even Jesus carried His own cross. It is a place of humbling descent where we must rely fully on God and others. Like Jesus, you may feel forsaken at the cross, but fear not, God is with you. And you will need others, like Jesus needed Simon, to carry your cross with you.