By Melissa Sharp
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24
Upon arriving at the 25th annual Run for the Ranch event in Springfield on Saturday, my husband and I checked in, grabbed our bibs, and then proceeded to set up for Runner’s Church. Wondering how many runners we might expect to join us, I found the Race Director (a friend, fellow runner, and sister in Christ) and asked how many people were registered for the race. To which she replied “A lot!” She went on to tell me that they didn’t even have enough medals for all of the finishers.
We knew the unseasonably warm temperatures had caused a lot of people to sign up at the last minute. You see, the weather in Missouri this time of year is very unpredictable so many people wait to see what it will be like before signing up. Hence the reason many “fair weather” runners opt to run only if the conditions are favorable. But when it comes to following Jesus and completing the spiritual race set before us, Jesus was very clear that there is no room for “fair weather” followers who opt to follow Him only when the conditions are favorable. Jesus said:
“If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Mark 8:34
And Jesus modeled the commitment He called us to. We are called to nothing less than a total denial of self to the point of death.
To be a true follower of Jesus requires that we let go of even the smallest bit of our own agenda, our comfort, our personal dreams, and our way of living in the world.
It means sacrificing every ounce of “self” to chase after Jesus and follow Him no matter the conditions. To understand more of what this means, one need only look at the life of Paul.
On more than one occasion, Paul denied his rights as a Roman Citizen to fulfill the mission God had called him to.
For example, on one such mission, Paul and Silas were traveling when Paul commanded an evil spirit to come out of a servant girl which incited the wrath of her owners who could no longer profit from her ability to tell the future. (Acts 16:16-24) Because of this, Paul and Silas were taken before the magistrates and severely beaten and thrown into prison. If Paul and Silas had claimed their Roman Citizenship, they would have been spared this flogging and imprisonment. But, obedient to the Holy Spirit, they allowed themselves to be jailed and thus, were able to demonstrate God’s perfect peace in the midst of perilous circumstances.
The joy Paul and Silas showed by praying and singing hymns to God no doubt inspired the prisoners around them to seek Christ. Furthermore, when the earthquake caused the prison doors to swing open, Paul and Silas denied themselves instant freedom and stayed for the sake of the jailer. As a result, they had the opportunity to love him the way Jesus commanded us to love those who hurt us. And because of this, the jailer and his family came to believe in the only One who can inspire this type of behavior and their lives were forever changed.
This is a prime example of what it means to deny ourselves, to take up our cross and to follow Jesus. There is no half-hearted devotion when it comes to following Christ. In Matthew 12:30, Jesus was clear:
“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad,” further showing that a half denial of self is really no denial at all. We must give Jesus our all or nothing at all.
In a world that’s growing increasingly hostile to those who choose to follow Jesus, commit to run the race to the very end. No matter the hardships; no matter the pressure to conform; and no matter the threat of punishment, you CAN do ALL things through Christ. Even the greatest affliction is no match for Him.
My friend, be known as an “all-weather Christian” not a “fair-weather Christian.” I promise you that your life will never be the same. Being on fire for Jesus Christ is the most rewarding decision you ever make!
Heavenly Father, Thank You for the example of Jesus who modeled what it means to follow You in ever area of life. Help us to understand that this race will not be easy, but it will be worth it. And we ask Lord that you give us the strength to continue running until the very end no matter what obstacles we encounter. It’s in your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!
Melissa Sharp is an ultra runner and running coach who has completed more than 100 marathons and ultra marathons. Melissa has learned how to keep running the race of life for the glory of Christ even though she endured decades of domestic abuse. Melissa is a survivor. Through her daily blog thejoyfilledrunner she inspires others to live in the strength of Christ.
