Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
To want something or have the will to do something can be a powerful force in our lives. We often center our lives on these wants. We give up and sacrifice all kinds of things for our wants. A want can motivate you to win a gold medal. It can cause you to do “impossible” things. There are tons of
biographies and motivational books written by individuals that were driven by a want.
There is a difference between saying it and doing it. That is what separates the boys from the men. It’s one thing to say “I want.” It’s a whole other ball game to act on that want. The thing is there are millions of people that want things and only a few act on it. Those that do act learn the most about themselves and what it takes to make dreams come true. They learn what true motivation is. They understand what it really means to want something.
We say, “I want to love God.” It is a great statement. Are you willing to act on it? Because doing it is a different story. To say it and not do it is, in reality, not to want it at all. The action makes the
statement real or false. When Christ says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me,” he is asking for you to do more than say it or say you want it. That is what Matthew 7:21 is all about. Do something more than saying, “I want to be a Christian.” I suppose that is the question. What are you doing to show that your desire for Christ is real?
- Steve Johnson
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