Shame and Suffering: Our Daily Cross

Jesus not only came to the world to die on the cross, but to suffer many things and then be killed on the cross. He didn't only choose a brutal death, but he chose a brutal life. He could've lived it up like a king, but he chose the road of suffering. 

By seeing Christ's sacrifice as more than just a moment on the cross, we can get a fuller picture of what it means to follow in his footsteps. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Lk 9:23). 

The way that I see it, there are two options. You can either pick up a cross and follow Jesus on the road of suffering and ultimately death, or you can remain in the city, holding on to whatever life you have. Every day we are called to surrender the things of this world to God and choose the life of persecution, rejection, and suffering. Every day we are called to lose our lives for the hope that God will save them in the end. 

May we accept the shame of living lives that look foolish and ignorant. May we be willing to carry a cross out of the city of pleasure, lest the God we follow be ashamed of us.