Take Up the Cross

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: Peace, joy, a home in heaven, prosperity. These are the kinds of things we tend to focus on in our modern-day evangelistic efforts: Come to Jesus, and He’ll get rid of all your problems.

But Jesus called His followers to take up their cross and follow Him—to suffer for His sake. By ignoring that calling, I'm afraid we’ve produced a generation of soft, flabby disciples who don’t have much stomach for the battles of the Christian life. When they encounter trials and temptations, they whimper and whine and make a dash for the quickest escape route.

The apostle Paul understood that suffering is essential. He said that we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.

So when you face trials, remember it doesn’t mean that God has let you down. If you’ll let Him, He will actually use those trials as a means to bless you and to make you more like His Son.

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth.