Take It Up!

What hobby have you wanted to "take-up?" I've always wanted to take-up playing the harmonica; I have played the piano for 50+ years, but it's hard to slip a piano into your pocketbook! Jesus used this phrase "take up" - "Then Jesus told His disciples, 'If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me'" (Matthew 16:24). My desire to take-up playing the harmonica may be a noble thing but in doing so, I would not be denying myself, which Jesus says is a prerequisite to follow Him. In doing so, Believers should "prepare themselves for a life that is hard, laborious, troubled, and full of many various kinds of evil" (A Little Book on the Christian Life, John Calvin). Consider both the physical and spiritual cross Jesus took-up for us to Calvary. There should, therefore, be no surprise we [too as His followers] do likewise! And, yes, it will  most certainly demand a denying of ourselves. We have this promise: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). Taking-up a hobby can be fun and rewarding ... so it is when we take-up whatever cross we must to obediently follow Christ. In fact, there be no other way we realize the sweetest of fellowship with The Father. As Believers, there is a cross before each of us ... take it up!