Luke 9:23-24 If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily

Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. Luke 9:23‭-‬24 BSB Today's Verse In Context: One day as Jesus was praying in private and the disciples were with Him, He questioned them: “Who do the crowds say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that a prophet of old has arisen.” “But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. “The Son of Man must suffer many things,” He said. “He must be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truthfully, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:18‭-‬27 BSB https://bible.com/bible/3034/luk.9.18-27.BSB Today's Devotional From YouVersion Is: Following the Way of Jesus Discipleship is at the center of the Christian life. To be a disciple means to be a learner. It means following after Jesus, and patterning our life after His. Jesus tells us that the starting point of following Him is to deny ourselves. Denying ourselves means we choose to put Jesus’ desires above our own. This means that we must come to recognize that we do not have all the answers, or know the right way to go through life.  Discipleship is not something we do once or twice. It is a lifestyle that must be lived out each and every day. We will spend our entire lives becoming more like Jesus.  The way of life Jesus modeled was to suffer on the cross. When we deny ourselves, we choose to humbly follow Jesus. And as we become more like Jesus, we will also need to take up our cross. We will also suffer for doing good, and for denying things that seem enticing in the moment, but ultimately keep us from God. When we bear our suffering, we represent Christ to those around us. The paradox of following Jesus is that when we give up our life for His sake, we receive eternal life in return. When we hold onto our life and keep it from Jesus, we don’t get to experience the abundant life that He promises. Take some time today to consider how you’re living a life of discipleship. Take inventory on the ways you are denying yourself and living for Christ, or living selfishly for your own pleasure and gain. Commit to following Jesus no matter how hard the path gets. And pray for strength and endurance as you follow Him. Today's Prayer Is: A Prayer to Live Like Jesus God, self-denial can be so hard! I need Your strength and Your grace. I can't do it on my own. Thank You for teaching me how to deny myself and live for You. Show me how to carry my cross like Jesus carried His. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Have A Blessed Day: ‘May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’ Numbers 6:24‭-‬26 BSB https://bible.com/bible/3034/num.6.24-26.BSB