“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'” – Mark 8:34
Peter is one of the most relatable people in all of Scripture. He was passionate, loyal, and genuinely wanted to follow Jesus. He also kept reaching for the steering wheel. He walked on water until fear took over. He swore he would never abandon Jesus and then denied Him three times before sunrise. He meant every word he said. And yet, when things got hard, his instinct was to take back control. Sound familiar? Most of us do the same thing. We surrender in the big moments and then quietly take the wheel back in the small ones. In Mark 8:34, Jesus makes it plain: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” That word deny is not passive. It is an active, daily decision to stop insisting on your own way. Surrender is not weakness. It is actually one of the bravest things a person can do. It means trusting that God’s direction is better than your instincts, even when you cannot see where He is leading. Jesus is not asking to be a passenger in your life. He is asking to lead it. And the more you let Him, the more you will find that His way is the one you actually wanted all along.
Reflection
In what area of your life are you most tempted to take back control from God, and what would it look like to genuinely surrender that to Him today?
Quote
“Jesus is not asking to be a passenger in your life. He said, come and follow me.”
Prayer
Jesus, I confess that I often want to follow You on my own terms. Teach me what it means to truly deny myself and trust You with the parts of my life I am still holding tightly. Amen.