The Most Abundant Life

Luke 9

23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily[expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it[from the consequences of sin and separation from God]. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the [heavenly] Father and of the holy angels.

This passage is a deeply sobering and yet beautifully clarifying call from Jesus. It’s not an invitation to comfortable Christianity or cultural faith—it’s a call to costly discipleship.

Jesus starts by saying, “If anyone wishes to follow Me…” This is for everyone, not just the especially holy or strong. But the condition is clear: we must deny ourselves—not in the sense of self-loathing, but in the surrender of selfish ambition and the constant pull to live for ourselves. It means letting go of the need to protect our image, chase comfort, or find life in temporary things. In a culture that screams “find yourself,” Jesus gently but firmly says, “lose yourself… for My sake.”

Taking up our cross daily is not a metaphor for everyday struggles. It’s about choosing surrender every single day—willingness to endure hardship, rejection, or even suffering for the sake of being faithful to Christ. It’s dying to the false life we’re tempted to build, and trusting that the truest, most abundant life is found in following Him.

Jesus then gives a paradox: if we try to save our lives—chase our own security, success, and comfort—we’ll lose what matters most. But if we lose our lives for Him, if we’re willing to look foolish, to go without, to live differently—we’ll gain what can never be taken away. Eternal life. Peace. Wholeness. Union with God.