Right Choice!

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. Mark 8:34‭-‬35 KJV

The call of God still goes out today, just as it went out in those days. The call is to everyone; a choice is to be made. The audience here was a crowd of people, including his disciples. You would expect that those he had chosen to follow him were fully committed, but today's extract seems to be suggest otherwise. Forget what people call you; be sure God recognises you as his own.

The call is to everyone. It is a personal call; a personal walk. I am first asked to decide who I want to follow. That's a fundamental decision. I can't choose to follow Christ & then reject his commands; I can't claim to be a disciple, yet refuse to obey instruction. Only when I have settled the issue of leadership, can the issue of commitment and daily devotion make sense. When God leads, I MUST follow. I must follow the way he commands, not the way I see fit. It is not a call to earthly comfort or convenience; haven't seen any cross that is comfortable to carry. I would have to let go of rights sometimes, even as I follow Him.

One fundamental reason why I must get the leadership right is because I can't see beyond the immediate. I can't with any measure of certainty predict what the next minute holds. What's the guarantee that my next smart move will get me what I want? What is the guarantee that things will end up the way I have meticulously planned them? It is this uncertainty that God's leadership settles. All he asks me to do is trust & follow him. I may not always understand, but then, understanding isn't my assignment; obedience is. God will ensure that as I follow where he leads, that good end planned for me will happen. His time of favour is here.