Daily Denials: The Practical Art of Taking Up Your Cross

We often wear the cross as jewelry, hang it on our walls, or see it atop our church steeples. It has become a symbol of comfort and identity. But in our latest conversation on the Spiritually Fit Today podcast, Arnie Cole and Pastor Ricky from City Lights Church remind us that for the first followers of Jesus, the cross wasn't a piece of jewelry—it was an instrument of death. When Jesus told us to "take up our cross," He wasn't giving us a metaphor for a minor inconvenience; He was giving us a blueprint for a completely different way of living.

The Daily Requirement

Our memory verse for the week is the challenging command found in Luke 9:23: "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'"

The most overlooked word in that verse is often "daily." Spiritual fitness isn't a one-time decision made at an altar or a summer camp. It is a series of small, intentional "reps" that happen every single morning. Pastor Ricky points out that "denying yourself" doesn't mean hating yourself; it means removing yourself from the throne of your own life so that Christ can sit there.

Comfort vs. The Cross

In the West, our greatest rival to the cross isn't usually open persecution—it’s comfort. Arnie and Ricky discussed how comfort often feels "reasonable." It feels smart to wait until you have enough money, enough time, or enough "safety" before you obey God. But what if delayed obedience is still disobedience?

Taking up your cross means choosing the uncomfortable “yes" over the comfortable “no." It’s the decision to follow Jesus into the messy, the risky, and the sacrificial.

What Daily Denial Looks Like:

• The Tongue: Denying the urge to get the last word in an argument or to share a piece of gossip.

• The Schedule: Denying the "right" to your own time to serve someone in need.

• The Ego: Denying the need for human approval and seeking only God’s "Well done."

It sounds counterintuitive—even painful. Why would we want to deny ourselves and carry a cross? Jesus gives us the reason in the very next verse: "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it" (Luke 9:24).

The irony of the "Comfort Trap" is that the more we try to preserve our comfort, the more anxious and empty we become. But when we embrace the daily denial of the cross, we find a purpose and a joy that comfort could never provide. We move from being "pew sitters" to being "sent ones."

The Uncomfortable "Yes"

Our challenge is to build the muscle of bold obedience. Try one of these activities in the coming days to move from passive faith to active cross-bearing.

1. Initiate one hard conversation: Seek reconciliation or speak the truth in love where you’ve been silent.

2. Serve where it costs you: Give time or resources in a way that you actually feel the sacrifice.

3. Share your faith: Tell one person what God has done in your life this week.

A Final Encouragement

The cross is heavy, but you don't carry it alone. Jesus is not just the one who commanded we take up our cross; He is the one who carried it first so that we could have life. When you deny yourself today, you aren't losing anything that was truly worth keeping—you are gaining everything in Christ.

Reader FAQ

Q1: Does denying yourself mean I can't have hobbies or enjoy my life?

A: Not at all! God gives us all things richly to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). Denying yourself means that those things no longer rule you. Your hobbies, career, and comfort are tools to be used for God’s glory, not idols that dictate your choices.

Q2: What if I take up my cross and I fail?

A: Spiritual fitness isn't about perfection; it's about showing up daily. If you fall down on Tuesday, the daily part of the command means you get to pick the cross back up on Wednesday. Grace covers the gap.

Q3: How do I know if I’m choosing comfort over God?

A: Ask yourself: “Am I waiting for it to feel ‘absolutely safe’ before I obey?” If you are waiting for all the risks to disappear before you act, you are likely stuck in the comfort trap.

References & Links

If you’re looking for encouragement, clarity, and practical ways to grow stronger in your faith, we invite you to listen to the Spiritually Fit Today podcast. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or YouTube—wherever you get your podcasts. Each episode is designed to help you take one step, one choice, one spiritual rep at a time, because what you do today matters. Remember, God is still at work in you, and you’re not walking this journey alone.

Next Steps

• Learn more: Discover how to live a "sent" life at https://backtothebible.org/

• Contact us: We want to support your journey of bold obedience. Connect with us at https://backtothebible.org/contact