What about carrying the cross?

As I was exploring for songs for my praise and worship, it suddenly dawn on me that I do not know many songs related to carrying the cross. Then another 'dawn' hit me, that it's been a while since I have heard any sermons or seen messages specifically pertaining to the the topic - carrying the cross.

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. ²⁵ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? ²⁶ Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:23-26)

However blatant this truth might be, I think we require reminders, that being a Christian is not just a matter of coming to church, sunday school and fellowship (where quite a number of people are not coming actually). A Christian should not just stop at believing in the promises of God, who He is and what he has done, but knowing Him, commit to become God's disciple. (I am afraid there are many believers but few disciples. Here, I define disciples as passionate believers of Jesus Christ who are willing to follow Him even to the ends of the earth.)

There are still Christians (including me) who struggle, knowing that taking up their cross daily and following God (to where he wants us to be) meant facing greater uncertainties and stepping out of our comfort zone.

Yet I know God rebukes us in the book of Amos.

Listen to Amos' slam at the lovers of comfort in 6:1, "Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria." Verse 4: "Woe to those who lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches." Verse 6: " . . . who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph." Does that refer to anyone today: people who live for comfort, and do not grieve over the lost; people who are experts in loving themselves, but have not thought the first thought about what it means to love your neighbor as yourself?

(extracted from http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/the-poor-of-the-land-and-the-pride-of-jacob)

This week, I have been praying for Bali and the information given was that Balinese Christians are few due to the high cost of discipleship. There, converts to Christ often face ostracism, persecution and financial loss (due to loss of inheritance and land ownership rights). It is through the learning of their circumstances that I saw the near-to-true cost of following Christ. Perhaps we are blinded to slightest impression of the true extent of this cost and if where we are are making us dull to what it means to be a disciple of Christ, then we really have to watch and pray against it.

Let's just hope that if there are not more disciples of Christ, that there are at least more people caught in this particular type of struggles, rather than being ignorant, nonchalant (due to the lack of challenge).

May give us the courage and the will to carry on...

Haste then on from grace to glory,
armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition,
faith to sight, and prayer to praise.