And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, “If any man (person) would come after me, let him (them) deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
Living for Christ and in Christ does not necessarily mean that everything in our lives will be glorious. For what happens if your life is not glorious? What happens if you don’t succeed as some would have us believe is the way of the gospel? It leads to guilt, to thinking that our faith is not as good as others. Do we measure faith by our successes? I think not.
Faith is not measured by us or for us, but is a gift from God to be used. Our standing in life, whether we have health, wealth or prosperity is not a measure of our faith.
Faith is living by the cross and in the cross and through the cross which leads to the resurrection which gives our lives meaning and purpose.
Which road will you choose on the path of life? The road that Peter wanted, or the road that Jesus teaches in Sunday’s gospel (Mark 8:31-38)?