Matthew 16:24-26 Phillips: Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps he must give up all right to himself, take up his cross and follow me. For the man who wants to save his life will lose it; but the man who loses his life for my sake will find it. For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world at the price of his own soul? What could a man offer to buy back his soul once he had lost it?”

This verse popped in my head this morning so I began reading it in various translations to find the one that drew me a very clear picture of just what Jesus was saying. It reminded me once again that my life is not my own. When I surrendered to Jesus, I committed to follow in his footsteps, wherever they led me. The clearest picture I can draw is when someone joins a branch of the military. They lose their right to operate as an individual and become the property of the country they represent. It is their duty to follow orders, to protect and serve. There are very strictly enforced rules they must abide by and adhere to. Sometimes as Christians, I think we have lost sight of the fact that our lives now belong to the Lord.  The Bible is our guidebook to follow closely and we must listen to our Commanders voice and follow his instructions to the letter.  It’s so that the Kingdom may be well represented and the mission of our King can be accomplished.  

Father, as I go about my day today, may I be mindful of whose I am and whose voice I must follow. I must be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer or reader of it. I am responsible to represent you to the world and to do this I have to walk in your love. You loved me so much that you sent a savior, born of a virgin to be my example. May I take his love with me and watch my steps that I may duplicate his. You are my Commander, my King and today I surrender to your will and ways even when it’s hard because thats what I signed up to do.