Take up your Cross

by Nikita Poposki

"Then said Jesus unto His disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me." - Matthew 16:24

Jesus asks of us a simple request: "take up your cross, and follow Me"; but what is seemingly "simple" bears many challenges. The initial step in taking up our cross is to 'deny ourselves.' Let's break this apart a little in order to gain full understanding of what Jesus asks of us to do. The first step He says is to "deny oneself", but this is a seemingly monumental task to accomplish. It could be said that it is 'easier said than done.' But what exactly does Jesus mean when He tells us to do this?

"To deny oneself" simply means that we must shed ourselves, souls and bodies, from all bad habits and to free our hearts from the bonds that tie us. These bonds can be a number of things, things that are personal to only us or a few or things that cripple most of us like greed, pride, lust and so on. We must suppress impure thoughts, rid ourselves of lustful desires, and do things, not out of stubbornness or out of egoism but rather out of a love for God and with desire to contribute to the glory of His Holy Name. In order to 'deny' ourselves, we cannot lend ourselves to situations that will lead to sin and spiritual destruction. St. Paul explains this to us candidly:

"Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts." - (Romans 6:11-12)

The first step is a difficult one, yet it is a necessary one to accomplish before coming into the second step. The second step is to "take up your cross.' The 'cross' Jesus is referring to is a symbolic one. It is a 'cross' that is customized to each individual, for God knows how much we can bear on our shoulders. Different people carry different 'crosses' of varying weights and sizes. The 'cross' is representative of the various difficulties and sorrows that are associated with a Christian life and it may be either internal or external or both. An 'external cross' is one in which something or someone on the outside brings you some form of oppression. For example, it can be brought about when someone provokes you through insult or rumour. Though this may be a simple example it is one that is common and should not be received with anger or resentment towards that other person, but bear it and remember, it is simply part of 'carrying your cross.' 'Internal crosses' come in forms of impure thoughts that can manifest themselves into sinful actions if we are tempted by them and follow through with them. Or they may be thoughts of pride or envy but know that this is the unseen spiritual warfare that we struggle with and fight daily. In other words, to find our 'inner cross' we need only look within ourselves and study our souls. Are we living according to God's will for our lives? Are we living according to Christ's teachings? Are we accomplishing something good? Are we growing spiritually? Depending on our answers to these questions, we can quickly assess the size and weight of our 'inner cross.'

So we have to accept our 'cross' and bear it with patience and perserverance, prudence and humility.

We should be joyful in this thought: God keeps us and He never leaves us alone, but rather will give us guidance through the Holy Spirit. And as we are carrying our personal and customized 'cross' we should always remember to strive for spiritual perfection. We must do good towards others: work for the greater good of our parish community, visit the sick and imprisoned, help the needy, and help with spreading spiritual enlightenment. Jesus Christ has given us the path to salvation and grace:

"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when have we seen you hungry and fed thee? Or thirsty and we gave thee drink? Or when have we seen you as a stranger and took you in? Or naked and clothed you? Or Sick, or in prison and visited you? And the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it to any one of the least of these brethren, you have done it to me.'" - (Matthew 25: 34-40)

Look to Christ as your comforter, teacher and seek help from Him. Pray often and keep Him in your heart. And as you walk through life bearing your cross with perseverance and with joy, He will always be with you to guide you and bestow upon you the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The final step in completing these monumental tasks that God asks of us is to become a follower of Christ. Following Him means that we should humble ourselves and accept fully and faithfully everything that Christ taught with childlike innocence. It is not only a matter of accepting His words, but rather fulfilling God's commandments and living a Christian life. Only then can we become full of truth and devotion and unwavering in our fellowship with Christ.

We must, in order to follow properly, strive to live as Christ did on this earth. These are the steps we must take to accomplish this:

1. Always thanking our Heavenly Father for the things in our lives and consistently praying to Him no matter how successful or difficult situations in our lives become.
2. We should revere and give respect to our parents and our mentors for giving us council and for directing us, so long as their advice does not conflict with God's commandments.
3. As Christ fulfilled His duties bestowed upon Him by God, we too should strive to achieve success in the tasks that are laid upon us.
4. We should show mercy and love towards our neighbours. Consistently seeking opportunities to serve and do good to others.
5. We must never fall into despair or be uncompromising towards any difficult time arises. We need only remember Christ and his voluntary suffering on the Cross for us. He willingly accepted the plight and burdens of mankind so that we may be forgiven and given a second chance to be with our Heavenly Father.
6. We must learn to forgive our enemies.
7. We must be labourious and content, industrious and satisfied with the things that God has given us and provided for us. We cannot allow ourselves to be consumed with desires for material possessions. Again, look to Christ and remember His gratitude towards God despite His living in poverty and how He obtained necessities through His own labors. For as it was said by our Lord and Saviour: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." -- (Matthew 19:24)

This is the meaning of denying oneself, taking up our cross and following Christ. This is the only path to the Kingdom of Heaven. Though this all may be seemingly difficult, God never leaves us alone and guides us along the path. And if we succeed a great reward awaits us in the end and a joy that is unattainable along any other path.

As Christ has enlightened us: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." -- (John 14:6)