If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.–Luke 9:23

A brief thought struck me at this verse. We take up our cross daily. We don’t take it up weekly, monthly, yearly. We don’t even take it up for our whole lives. 

I so often live in the future, thinking I have to be sinless and pure for the rest of my life. When I start thinking that way, I begin to despair. I just don’t think I can do this for the rest of my life. I don’t think I can do this for a decade. I don’t think I can do this for a week. Sometimes I don’t even think I can do this tomorrow. But I don’t have to. All I have to do is pick up my cross today. Just one day at a time. By God’s grace, I can do this today.

Perhaps this is what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34, ESV).

Don’t worry about next year, next month or next week. Just take up your cross today. You can do that.

Have a happy 4th of July.

Keep the faith and keep reading.