“And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27 NIV
Though disciples of Christ are not crucified as He was, they still need to bear their cross and bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them to consider the cost in following Him, while also considering the dangers.
In reading this verse, I was reminded of the parable of the sower scattering seeds. In that parable, some seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants (Matthew 13:7). As disciples, we need to be aware of our surroundings so that we do not become distracted from the worldly pleasures. For there is much that the eye can see that will distract and blur our vision of and for Christ.
May we not find ourselves growing among the thorns of this world that can choke and burn us, but rather may we set our eyes upon Christ so that our desires and passions are in line with His.
Lock Your Wings 
Great thoughts. This stood out for me: “But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’”
Luke 14:18-20 NLT
Seems like busyness is not just a modern excuse. We constantly have things vying for our attention, time, and money. May we not miss out on the important things because we’re filling our time with the insignificant.
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