Daily Dose: Take Up His Cross — The Voluntary Acceptance of Cost (Matthew 16:24 KJV)

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Matthew 16:24 KJV

When Christ called His followers to “take up his cross,” He was not speaking poetically or metaphorically in a light sense. In the Roman world, the cross represented public humiliation, intense suffering, and the surrender of one’s personal will. It was an instrument of death — not merely physical death, but death to self-determination. Therefore, taking up the cross is not about enduring random hardship; it is about choosing obedience when obedience comes with a cost.

To live a cross-bearing life means we willingly accept the weight that comes with following Christ fully. It is voluntary. It is conscious. And it is deeply transformative.

Embracing Obedience Despite Discomfort

Obedience often confronts our comfort zones. The cross appears when doing right becomes inconvenient, unpopular, or personally costly.

In daily life, this may look like:

• Speaking truth when silence would be easier

• Keeping the Sabbath despite social or workplace pressure

• Remaining honest when dishonesty could bring financial gain

• Forgiving someone when revenge feels more justified

Each moment of costly obedience shapes the believer into Christ’s likeness. We begin to understand that righteousness is not proven in ease, but in resistance.

Accepting Misunderstanding

Another dimension of cross-bearing is the willingness to be misunderstood. Jesus Himself was misjudged, rejected, and marginalized, not for wrongdoing, but for righteousness.

Taking up the cross includes accepting seasons where you may experience:

• Being misjudged by others

• Social or relational rejection

• Marginalization because of your faith or convictions

Scripture prepares believers for this reality:

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”(2 Timothy 3:12, KJV)

Persecution does not always mean physical harm. Often, it appears as criticism, exclusion, or misrepresentation. Yet even in this, the cross is being carried.

Practicing Cruciform Living

To live “cruciform” means to live a cross-shaped life, a life patterned after the sacrifice of Christ.

This lifestyle is marked by:

• Sacrificial love — giving without expecting return

• Patient endurance — remaining steadfast under pressure

• Obedient suffering — trusting God even in pain

• A non-retaliatory spirit — refusing revenge, choosing grace

Cruciform living is not passive weakness; it is disciplined spiritual strength. It reflects the power of Christ working within the believer.

Practical Weekly Exercise

Cross-bearing must move from theory into practice. Growth happens when obedience becomes intentional.

This week’s exercise:

• Identify one act of obedience that will cost you comfort.

• It may involve time, pride, convenience, or emotional effort.

• Choose to do it deliberately; not reluctantly, but willingly.

By doing so, you participate in the life Christ modeled, a life where the cross is not just remembered, but lived.

Taking up the cross is not about seeking suffering. It is about choosing faithfulness over ease, righteousness over approval, and obedience over self-will. And in that surrender, we discover that what feels like loss becomes the pathway to true spiritual life.