Following Christ is a life-long journey focused on Him, not on yourself. ”Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.“ Matthew 16:24
The Message Bible puts it in modern terms: ”Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?“
Matthew 16:24-26
Our culture is permeated with self-help, self-care, self self self! The Bible DOES teach us to take care of ourselves, to groom ourselves appropriately and to be clean, to sleep, to pray, to eat and to enjoy celebrations - but not to focus on those things. We are to be other focused like Jesus was.
“To love one another as Jesus has loved us.”
“To love your neighbor as yourself.” If you take care for your own needs then you’re called to do the same for a neighbor…
This Holy Week, as we remember how unbelievably GOOD God was, is and ever more shalt be, let’s focus on Him and loving others better.