“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). “I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10)
In our fast-paced world, it is very easy to get caught up in the daily grind and lose sight of our true purpose in life – which is the worship of God. So often times we never stop to consider what our purpose really is or what is the true meaning of our life. We might make the mistake of looking back years later wondering why some of our relationships failed and why we might be feeling empty inside even though we might have achieved the goals we set out to accomplish. In this society we pursue many purposes, thinking that in them we will find meaning. Some of these pursuits include: business success, wealth, good relationships, entertainment and pleasure.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon states that even after you have accomplished these worldly (earthly) goals, accomplishment and reached the top, it is all meaningless. King Solomon had wealth beyond measure, wisdom beyond men of his time or ours, women in the hundreds, palaces and gardens that were the envy of kingdoms, the best food and wine and had every form of entertainment available. And he said at one point, that anything his heart desired, he pursued. Yet he summed up “life under the sun” (life lived as though all there is to life is what we can see with our eyes and experience with our senses) is meaningless (vanity and vexation of spirit). Why is there such a void? Because God created us for something beyond what we can experience in the here and now and he has set eternity in the hearts of men.
The real meaning of life is not just merely finding Jesus Christ as Savior, it also is found when one begins to follow Jesus as a disciple, learning of Him, spending time with Him in his Word, the Bible, communing with Him in prayer, and in walking with Him in obedience to His commandments. Each believer, in striving to remain focused upon God has their own way of keeping that focus. Each individual’s needs are different. One person might memorize a scripture verse each week; another might have a private Bible study each morning, yet another might have a goal of sharing the Gospel message with at least one person every week. Each of these actions keeps Christ at the forefront of one’s mind.
Trust in the Lord, pray with confidence that God’s promises contributes to your sense of purpose, meaning, hope and directions. Let Him remove the heavy burden of stress and anxiety. For God has not given us the spirit of anxiety, but of love, power and a sound mind. With all the promises that God has for us to receive, what possible reason should we be stressed? The book of Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us and a plan for the future. We must respect and understand that all that goes on today, that God is in control. “If God be for us, who can be against us? God is trustworthy and he gives us wisdom when we ask. He and His word is there to encourage us when nothing else can satisfy us.
Most importantly, in order to keep our focus where it needs to be is to surrender our will to Jesus Christ. A surrendered life is all about trust. It is trusting and believing that God has your best interests at heart. It is trusting that he word contains many promises to receive and should be taken at value. Therefore, “Take up your cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23) means a willingness to die in order to follow Jesus. It is called absolute surrender! “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed (Jesus Christ) when He comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the Holy angels” (Luke 9:24-26) The call is a high cost and may be tough, but the reward is matchless and eternal. Discipleship demands sacrifice and true commitment.
If you wonder if you are ready to take up your cross, consider these questions:
? Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing some of your friends?
? Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means the loss of your reputation?
? Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job?
? Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?
At some point in our lives, one if not all of these questions and decisions become a reality. Following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean all these things will happen to you, but will you take up your cross? Only if we are willing to take up our cross may we be called His disciples (Luke 14:27). The reward is worth the price, because Jesus followed his call to his death and resurrection and now he is seated at the right hand of the Father.
