Date: Tuesday, 9th December 2025
Text: Luke 9:23
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
When Jesus says, “Take up your cross daily,” He is not simply asking us to endure hardship — He is calling us into surrender. The cross is where our own will bows to God’s will. It is where our preferences, ego, and old lifestyle lose their power, so the life of Christ can take full expression in us (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20).
Every disciple has a personal cross — the sacrifices, disciplines, responsibilities, and God-given challenges that shape spiritual growth. Through the cross, God breaks pride, purifies motives, reshapes identity, and matures our character (1 Peter 4:1). Nothing in this process is wasted; God uses the cross as His tool to form Christlikeness in us.
Avoiding the cross is avoiding growth. Many desire power without process, anointing without alignment, and destiny without discipline. But even Jesus entered glory after the cross (Philippians 2:8–9). Following Christ means embracing the same pattern: death to self is always the doorway to discovering purpose.
Yet the cross is not only about sacrifice — it is also a privilege. It is the narrow road that leads to true life (Matthew 7:14). Those who embrace their cross experience resurrection power, supernatural freedom, and deeper intimacy with God (Philippians 3:10). The cross is the path that leads to genuine spiritual greatness.
Prayer Nugget: Father, please, give me the grace to carry my cross each day with joy, strength, and perseverance in Jesus name.
Bible in One Year: 2 Corinthians 10-13