“And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple”

- Luke 14:27

The cost of discipleship - Each of us has our own cross to carry. We are not called just to follow Jesus, but first to pick up our cross, AND THEN to follow Him. The cost of discipleship is lifelong, and is definitely more than what most people are willing to pay.

The beautiful thing is that each cross is handcrafted specially for the individual. It is our own cross, and it can only be borne by us. There is no cross that is too long, or too large for the person. Jesus gives us crosses which He knows we are able to bear; it is through carrying this special cross that allows us to be true disciples of His, following Him to calvary, and subsequently to eternal life which awaits.

Who can deny that it is only Jesus who knows each of us so well that He can give each of us a cross that is unique in shape, size and frame? More often than not, we tend to forget that Jesus was a carpenter.

“costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus, it comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. It is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” ”

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship