Daily Cross

Christ invites us to take up our crosses and follow Him. In fact, He says that in order to be His disciples, we must take up our crosses. But, what does that look like for us as twenty-first century American men? 

Oftentimes, we think of our crosses as the big, special sufferings. And, while these are certainly not excluded, taking up our crosses also refers to small, daily sufferings. 

Maybe it’s our bodies’ aches and pains, or struggles from our economic situation, or the fatigues from work, or differences of opinion. It’s the struggles that come with our state of life and our duty.

These sufferings may not require great acts of heroism, but they require us to remain strong each and every day, to go all in for love of neighbor, family, and most of all, for God. 

But, it’s important to note that it’s not enough to take up our cross...and complain the entire time. 

Complaining runs rampant in our culture. If something is uncomfortable or disagreeable, many believe it must be eradicated. But, we can’t have Christ without the cross. 

The cross is a part of life — part of our journey toward God. But, it requires a daily choice to either run from it or run towards it. To hide from it, or to take it up. 

Let’s be mindful of those daily sufferings in our lives, and let’s take them up with renewed strength and resolve.