"Turn"

The seasons turn and so do we,

Toward the light or run, you see,

Repentance is the way to be,

And Jesus made it plain.

To follow Him take up your cross,

Counting all your gain as loss,

Denounce control, let Him be boss,

Your selfish life disdain.

Jesus said come one and all,

But when they came He made the call,

‘Cause He had seen the devil fall,

And knew what it would take,

To have the Kingdom strong and real,

Change your life, the way you feel,

And live surrendered that’s the deal,

Not something you can fake.

We have decided to let go,

Follow Him and yes, I know,

The sacrifice in time will show,

It will be worth it all.

The measure is eternity,

We lose to win it, don’t you see,

With Jesus we will always be,

We say yes to His call.

“Then He said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’” (Luke 9:23, NIV)

Following Jesus is all about this, denouncing self rule and exchanging it for the rule of Jesus Christ. In the final analysis it’s all about control, who has it and who relinquishes it. We are called to die to ourselves on a daily basis and live a life of unreserved surrender to Him. We give Him ourselves- body, soul and spirit. We give up control of our people, possessions, pursuits and pleasures. We hold nothing back from Him, and allow Him to direct our every decision. The good news is that by doing this we learn what it means to truly live. We gain by losing. And every sacrifice is more than worth it.

Lord, help us deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow You, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mark Maggiori, markmaggiori.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Mark, and God bless you.