Day 8

31 Jan Day 8

Scripture: Luke 9:23 NLT – “Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.’”

Observation: Jesus is inviting those who wish to follow him to give up their own way of life and live in the way that he teaches. As he is addressing the crowd, we can see that this invitation is not exclusive and that all of us have the opportunity to live life his way.

Application: According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, humility can be defined as the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people. Another way of defining it is that humility is the absence of and freedom from pride. Over the next three days, we will be discussing humility and how we can break down our pride through surrender, confession, and forgiveness. Today, I will be sharing with you the importance of surrender.

I enjoy spending time by myself. But when we are isolated with only the opinions and limited knowledge that we offer ourselves, this can really build up our pride. And with pride comes thinking that only we know what’s best for our lives and how they should go. It also allows space for the enemy to cloud our minds with negative thoughts and lies about ourselves.

Growing up, I would use my introversion as an excuse to isolate myself. After over twenty years of doing this, I began to create this false identity where most of my characteristics were negative. I thought of myself as lazy, socially awkward, and unlovable. But the worst part of it all was that I was unwilling to change the narrative. I was unwilling to surround myself with people who could see and speak truth into my life. And I was unwilling to allow God to change the way I saw myself because I thought I knew myself better than anyone else. It wasn’t until lockdown in 2020, when I had experienced a low point with my mental health, that I began to realize complete isolation was hindering me from becoming the person God created me to be.

The first step to true surrender is willingness. In the first part of the scripture, Jesus says, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way.” Surrender doesn’t mean giving up on everything. In this case, Jesus is inviting us to give up the things that are holding us captive so that we can take up his truth and follow him fully. God cannot work with an unwilling heart. The scripture also tells us to take up our cross daily – surrender is a process we must commit to every day. A new day brings new opportunities which can also bring new struggles. Take the time to ask God to remove any pride or selfish desires from your life so that you can fully lean into him.

We can’t do this alone. I found the more I invested in relationships with others going the same direction spiritually as me, it was easier to fight the lies and negative thoughts. I surrounded myself with people who could speak truth and pray over any struggle that I was facing. God has so much in store for us. We just need to be willing to surrender our plans, take up our cross daily, and follow the plans that God has for our lives. How will you take up your cross today?

Prayer: Father God, thank you for giving me the opportunity to follow your Son and live life his way. I pray that I have the humility to surrender those negative thoughts and desires so that I can step into the blessings you have for me. Continue to remind me that I am not alone and that I will overcome the lies of the enemy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Going Deeper: 

• Pray and ask God if there’s anything in your life that may be keeping you from following Jesus fully.
• Get connected in a J-Group! 
• Invest in people who will keep you accountable and speak God’s truth over your life.

Staci Turk / Social Media Team Leader; Videography J-Teamer; Evening Program Core+ Leader

Staci has been attending The Journey for almost two years. This past fall, she led a J-Group called Faith & Mental Health which allowed a safe space for others to connect and open up about daily struggles surrounding their mental health. Because of opportunities like connecting in J-Groups and serving through leadership, Staci has developed a passion to encourage others to grow in their faith and become all that God has created them to be.