Cross Walker

The other day while driving the 156 I saw a man trudging along the shoulder of that narrow two-lane highway lugging on his back nothing other than a large, wooden cross. The bottom of the beam scraped the ground with each step as he slowly lunged down the long, lonely road to wherever he was headed...probably nowhere in particular. "How interesting," I thought to myself, "He's taking Jesus' command to daily carry your cross literally." As I drove passed him I was both inspired and troubled. What he was doing was pretty cool, but it was obvious that the man was confused about what it means to be a Christian. But as I got further along into my drive I started to realize that he wasn't the only one confused about what it means to be a Christian. The truth is, most people today are confused about what it means to be a Christian. The very term "Christian" has nearly entirely lost its meaning here in the United States. It's a title thrown around lightly, taken up by almost anyone and everyone.  "Are you a Christian?"...."Ya, of course I'm a Christian." Why? Because you're not Muslim or Mormon or Jewish or Atheist? Because you live a "good life" and you don’t drink or chew or go with girls that do? Because you go to church a couple times a year...maybe even every week? What is it that makes you a Christian? Being a Christian is not just some default state of being. You’re not a Christian because you’re American. You’re not a Christian because you aren’t Muslim. You’re a Christian because you are Christ follower.  At some point in your life you made a serious, life-altering decision to follow after Jesus the Messiah and trust in His sacrifice for your sins. Now you have a living relationship with Him and He guides you by His Word and His Spirit. Now at the beginning of each day you take up your cross, die to yourself and your desires and follow Him wherever He leads you. If those things aren’t true of you...namely, if you’re not dying to yourself and following Jesus... then you are not a Christian. You are not a Christ follower. We should start asking people, “Are you a Christ-follower? Do you follow the teachings of Jesus, trusting in His sacrifice for you? Do you die daily to yourself and your desires and walk, with your rugged cross on your back, in the footsteps of your Savior? Are you a Cross Walker?” That’s what we should start calling ourselves: Cross Walkers. I realize it’s just semantics, but sometimes new words help us understand what we’re really talking about. Let’s not just be “christians”, let’s be Cross Walkers.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. - Luke 9:23