Is there something deep inside of you that longs to experience the unordinary, to have a

genuine faith, and to live for the creator of this great universe? Well all of these things are possible, they
require devotion, prayer, an open heart and mind, and of course our savior Jesus Christ. To truly
experience the life we were meant to live we must become aware of our surroundings, seek wisdom
from the Lord, and have a heart that longs for a genuine love relationship with Christ. Sure we can go
through our day making our own decisions, worrying about this or that, and just going through the
motions. But God has sent us his son, and with Jesus Christ we don’t have to just go through the motions
of the day. We can start each day knowing that we have a Savior and that he has paid the ultimate
sacrifice for us to have a life of abundance. God is real, his plan for our lives is real, but it is up to us to
follow his path, and take the journey. In Luke 9:23 Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” This is a direct challenge from Jesus Christ to
deny ourselves, our plan, our way of life and to give it all to him. By denying ourselves we are letting go
of our selfish desires, and we are letting Jesus take over our lives from the inside out. This is the first
step in following the journey, the life that God has called us to live. The next step is to take up our cross
daily. By taking up our cross daily we are surrendering our lives to Christ. The cross represents our life,
and by taking up our cross we are allowing God to have complete and total reign over our lives. In Luke
9:24 Jesus completes this challenge by saying, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for me will save it.” Jesus is directly telling us that if we live for ourselves, indulge
in our selfish desires, and live a life away from him that we will certainly lose ourselves, our true selves.
But if we lose our life for Jesus, by giving him our total surrender then we will live a life worthy of his
praise. To live this type of life that God promises us requires a love relationship with the one and only
Jesus Christ. Without him we are nothing. Are you living the way God intended for you to live? Are you
ready to give God your attention and allow his son and savior Jesus Christ to lead you on the journey of a
lifetime? The answer lies in your heart, it is up to you to discover it.