As I reflect on this theme, there is no better Scripture to stand on as the foundation of this reflection than Matthew 16:24:
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.’”
Jesus spoke these sacred words in the context of Peter’s refusal to accept His suffering and eventual death at the hands of the chief priests and teachers of the law. It is striking that this same Peter—who, only moments earlier, had declared under divine revelation that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God—was now being strongly rebuked by Jesus. Jesus had just affirmed Peter for his spiritual insight, yet within minutes Peter “switched off,” revealing how fragile the human condition can be.
We cannot entirely blame Peter for his reaction. What he said came from good intentions. He wanted to protect Jesus from harm. Any loyal friend would likely do the same. But Peter’s refusal to accept Jesus’ suffering was not aligned with the will of the Father. Had he fully understood the revelation he had just received—that Jesus was indeed the Messiah—he would have also understood that suffering was an essential part of that mission.
The word Messiah simply means Savior. If Jesus is our Savior, what exactly is He saving us from? The penalty of sin. And for that to happen, a perfect sacrifice was required—one that only Christ could offer. He alone could be the sacrificial Lamb on the altar. This was the ultimate price He paid to fulfill the will of God.
Jesus carried that cross to Golgotha because He had already counted the cost. He knew what had to be done, and He did it for our sake. Without His death on the cross, He could not have fulfilled His mission as our Savior. He paid dearly with His life so that we could be saved—and so that we might now carry Him to the world through our words and deeds.
What does this mean for us?
To carry our cross means, we are willing to go to any length and do whatever it takes to fulfill God’s will for our lives—even if it means suffering or loss. The cause of Christ becomes more important than our own comfort, reputation, or even our lives. This kind of surrender flows out of passionate love for Christ and deep compassion for the lost.
To carry the cross is to be willing to go anywhere, do anything, and become whatever is necessary for the sake of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul captured this commitment when he wrote:
“I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).
Paul was willing to lay aside personal rights and preferences in order to remove any obstacle that might keep others from responding to Christ.
Denying self means dying to self. It is a sacrifice we willingly make so that Christ may be glorified through us. It is when our desires become fully aligned with the will of God. We may not always understand what God says or where He leads, but understanding can wait—obedience cannot.
I have learned that when God speaks and we do not yet understand, we simply obey. Obedience eventually brings understanding. Some things about God can only be understood after obedience.
Years ago, I was a high school teacher when God called me through a dream. At first, I did not fully understand what it meant. But when I had the exact same dream again one week later, it unsettled me deeply. I knew God was calling me into full-time ministry—and I hated the idea. I told no one, not even my wife. The reason was simple: I had already made plans to pursue law, and I was fully prepared for that future. For God to interrupt those plans so directly felt like a shock.
One morning over breakfast, my wife looked at me and said she wanted to share something. I told her to go ahead. What she said shook me to the core.
“You are disobeying God,” she said bluntly.
I immediately responded, “Disobeying God in what?”
She said, “God is calling you into full-time ministry, and you are resisting it.”
I was stunned. “How do you know?” I asked.
She replied simply, “God showed it to me in a dream.”
Then I asked her, “If I resign, are you ready for that?”
Without hesitation, she said, “If you say yes, it’s already a yes for me.”
I wrestled with God for two years over this calling before I finally surrendered. And I learned a powerful truth: you cannot wrestle with God and win. When I gave up teaching, I had no idea what lay ahead. I had stepped into completely uncharted waters. But I was convinced that God had called me—and if He had called me, He would also carry me.
It was a giant step of faith into the unknown. That season stripped me of pride and deeply humbled me. I learned to trust God daily for provision—for food, transportation, my children’s education, and even our mortgage. It was a real struggle at times, but there was no turning back. I had surrendered everything and was ready to go wherever God would lead.
Now, looking back more than 25 years later, I have never once regretted that decision. It has been 25 years of carrying Christ to the nations. And there is nothing more fulfilling than knowing that a perfect God can still use an imperfect person like me.
God can use anyone, anywhere, at any time. What He looks for is not our ability—but our availability. Are we willing to place our lives in the palm of His hands and say, “Here am I, Lord—send me” (Isaiah 6:8)?
To carry the cross daily is costly. But it is also infinitely worth it—because in losing our lives for His sake, we discover the true life only Christ can give.
Manasa Kolivuso
