Lenten Reflections, Day 37

Thursday, March 29th, 2012

Written by: Ken Schuster

Reading: Mark 8: 34-35

"As Jesus was willing to go to the cross to do the will of the Father, so we must be willing to follow Jesus to the cross, DAILY DYING to any desires that conflict with His so that we may daily live for Him." I’m glad I found that quote. From the scripture you might think we have to be crucified on a cross to be with Christ. Actually, what we are told might be harder then dying on a cross. We are told that EACH DAY we must stand up for what we believe and that is not easy. What is carrying a cross? It is not just the pain and hardship of this life. No, it is suffering for our commitment to Jesus Christ. Have you ever gone beyond your comfort zone and stood up for Christ? Have you ever been frowned at, ridiculed or questioned because you chose to act in a Christ-like way? If you don’t answer "yes" you should be asking yourself how can I be carrying my cross and not have been?

"WWJD." Being a follower of Christ is not easy. It is demanded, not expected or asked, that we will do as He would do. Is it easy to be a follower of a sports team; do we easily find ourselves as fans? How many of us have team’s names on our shirts, hats or cars? But, do we have Christ on our shirt, hat or car? Are we as proud of being Christ like as we are being a sports or college fan?
In every Lutheran church you will find a cross at the central position in the place of worship. Why? "The cross is our theology." And practicing our theology should lead us to "WWJD"
"Once I carried the Gospel, now the Gospel carries me" (Bonhoeffer)

Prayer
Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit that I get past the "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart" stage so that I become a visible follower of Christ. Amen

FAMILY MOMENT:

What does this passage mean by "trying to save your life?" What are some ways that we try to hold on to our "life?" What does Jesus mean when he says that "whoever loses his life for my sake will save it (their life)." How do we lose our life for Jesus? We "lose our life" every time we put someone else’s best interest before our own. Brainstorm ways that you can serve others today (wait a moment while you hold the door for someone, etc.)
God, giver of life, thank you for giving your life for us. Help us to let go of our earthly life and selfish priorities and to put You first. Give us eyes to see the needs of others. AMEN.