Take Up Your Cross

‘Take up your cross’ is a central concept in practical Christianity and daily discipleship. And yet much of the time, I don’t wake up and start the day thinking, ‘take up your cross.’ Since I set the alarm for 3:00 am— a 6:00 am flight to Austin—I first tried to remember if I fixed the coffee and set the timer on the coffee maker when I went to bed?

An hour and a half into the day and driving down the interstate toward the airport before, then I thought, ‘take up your cross.’ Fortunately the thought came to mind and I remembered my identity about 27 seconds before a zealous ‘dust worshiper’ driving a black, numbered German car cut in front of me at the airport exit. ‘Love your enemies as yourself’ followed ‘Take up your cross.’ ‘Thanks God, for your presence and reminder even when I didn’t start my day in your Word and in prayer. My first major blessing of the day, God kept me out of a moody brood.

Most days I make meeting with God my first meeting because if I don’t, ‘take up your cross’ mixes up in the business and reactions of the day. It is impossible to take up your cross when it is lost in the closet. I confess on too many days I lose my cross in the closet of my life.

Start your day with God. Don’t cut on the TV, radio, internet, etc. Don’t go to LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Facebook first. Wake up, read your Bible, reflect, and pray. First. First thing. If I work on this other stuff first, I lose my whole purpose, my whole day, my whole life in the closet.

So take up your cross first or lose it in the closet.