Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be my disciple, he must pick up his cross and follow me.” In short, we need to see that this cross-carrying commission requires at the very basic level these two things:
1. You go to a place you’d rather not go.
2. You carry a burden you’d rather not carry.
Why? Because love compels you to go and to carry his burden. In fact, love makes his burden light and the journey joyful.
The true believer has the capacity to pick up his cross and follow Jesus because he’s dead to his old way of life and made alive in the love of God almighty.
Love’s burden is light. Jesus walked through a sea of offenders when he carried his cross toward Calvary. He denied himself and chose to love.
Thomas A’Kempis wrote, “Love makes the difficult easy . . . love renders sweet all that is bitter.”
Indeed, our Lord Himself said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” So the secret to this cross-carrying, burden-bearing, road-less-traveled lifestyle is to be immersed in the love of Jesus.
“One who is in love flies, runs, rejoices, he is free, not bound,” said Thomas A-Kempis.
For truly, love is freedom.
