To be His Follower
ICS Daily Devotions
Matthew 16: 24-25 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
When we truly understand the grace of God, we would want to make our lives count for the Lord. Yielding to God’s will for us and His leading is the right response of love and a grateful heart.
Many of us build our own identities through our own strength. We have our ideals, dreams, and ambitions. Some are willing to pay any price to achieve that goal in life—with or without God. Sadly, we often don’t realise it is shifting sand until that earthly identity is removed. Friction arises when we do not yield to God’s call or follow Him.
God’s ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). That is why Jesus says that if we want to find life, we need to deny ourselves, take up His cross, and follow Him, for only then will we find true meaning and fulfilment. Our identity is found in Christ.
Many of us would admit that before being saved, many of the world’s pursuits—wealth, social status, and material goods—were meaningless. They failed to satisfy us and left a void in our hearts that only Jesus could fill when we were saved. Being a child of God has a greater purpose: living out His will for us—that is the real meaning of life.
All believers have a calling in their lives. Therefore, we must seek out His will, because only then will we find true satisfaction, peace, and contentment. Running from what God has in mind for us leaves us frustrated, unsettled, and joyless—just like Jonah in the Old Testament.
To follow Him, we need to observe Jesus’ life and ministry and follow His example. Jesus obeyed the Father’s will, even to the point of being crucified on the cross. He walked in love and forgiveness towards those who persecuted, rejected, and betrayed Him. His main objective was to redeem mankind, which is why the Bible shows Him preaching the good news, ministering to the people, and doing good for them.
We are saved by the grace of God, not by works, but we are saved to do good works for Him. We must deny our own thoughts, will, power, and interests—everything that would hinder His will, power, and interests from being accomplished in us and by us.
God is our master craftsman. We all have different callings, gifts, and talents because He made us uniquely. God wants us to diligently seek His will, live by faith, and faithfully fulfil the work He has given us. He wants us to live for Him rather than for ourselves. God is looking for faith and obedience rather than sacrifice.
Reflection: Are you living for yourself or for the Lord? What do you need to surrender to Him to follow Him?
Sermon Series: Pick up the cross to follow Jesus
