Imitators of Christ

(our theme for October)

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." 

When thinking of taking up the cross, it can call to mind the lyrics to "The Old Rugged Cross": "On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true, its shame and reproach gladly bear; then He'll call me someday to my home far away, where His glory forever I'll share."

During the crucifixion, the cross could be seen as a symbol of hope being lost. It was undoubtedly a great tragedy for the people to see Christ nailed to the cross. However, the symbolism behind this cross isn't all hopeless. As we all know, Jesus dying on the cross, in turn, represents Him dying for our sins so that we may all enter the gates of heaven someday and place our sins at the foot of that old rugged cross.

If we want to walk as Christ did, we need to take up the crosses we bear. In this case, we need to be able to bear the weight of our crosses, for one day they will be forgiven. We, as humans, are certainly not without sin and cannot pretend to be. The first step in being Christ-like is to be able to take up these crosses and follow closely with Him until the day He calls us home, where our sins will ultimately be forgiven.

And now, I would like to invite you to join me in prayer:

Help us to always remember that as we strive to be Christ-like, we are not without sin. Please forgive us of any wrongdoings and help us to bear our crosses now and always. In our walks with Christ, may we always have hope in that old rugged cross. In your son's name, Amen.

This devotion was written and recorded by Grace Jonas.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.