Thursday, March 5—Take Up Thy Cross

Scripture:
“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” — Mark 8:34

Hymn Focus:

 “Take Up Thy Cross, and follow Me.”

The call of Lent is clear and uncompromising: Take up thy cross and follow Christ. This hymn does not romanticize discipleship. Instead, it names the cost of following Jesus—self-denial, perseverance, and faithfulness when the road is hard.

In a culture that prizes comfort and self-fulfillment, the cross feels out of place. We often imagine it as a symbol we admire rather than a path we walk. Yet Jesus speaks of the cross not as an ornament, but as a daily commitment. To take up the cross is to choose obedience over ease, love over self-interest, and faith over fear.

Lent invites us to examine what we resist surrendering. What habits, attitudes, or attachments keep us from fully following Christ? The hymn reminds us that the cross is not only about loss; it is also about purpose. The way of the cross is the way of life because it leads us closer to Jesus himself.

The final promise of the hymn is quiet but strong: those who follow Christ in the way of the cross will share in his victory. Lent does not end at suffering, but at resurrection. When we take up the cross, we do not walk alone—Christ goes before us, bearing the weight we could never carry on our own.

Prayer

Faithful God,
You call us not to an easy path,
but to a faithful one.
In this Lenten season, give us courage
to take up the cross you place before us.
Help us to deny ourselves with trust,
to follow Jesus with hope,
and to believe that the way of the cross
leads always toward life.
Amen.