By Kenny Westmoreland
I once saw a cartoon reminiscent of the scene from
Mark 8:34 in which Lord Jesus challenged believers to
“take up your cross.” Within the cartoon, numerous
figures were dragging large crosses. Each moved
slowly under the weight of the oversized burden.
Suddenly, a character spoke out and asked, “Is there a
way to lift some of this load?” The next depiction
showed the cartoon character sawing off a portion of the
cross, thereby lightening his load. From that moment
on, the cartoon character (with his “new and improved”
cross) moved out ahead until he reached a large
crevasse. The huge gap had no bridge, thereby stranding
the character. Others arrived, lowered their crosses onto
the crevasse, bridged the gap, and then resumed the
journey. Suddenly, the character discovered that his
new and improved version did not reach the other side.
He found himself stranded. Realizing his mistake, the
character fell to his knees in prayer. This story may be
fiction, but it mirrors a common problem: a lack of true
dedication among church members. Rather than being
devoted to Lord Jesus, some choose to take a non-
committal approach. Sadly, the “short cross lifestyle”
often leaves people unprepared and unequipped for the
tough times. Such a choice is inconsistent with the
words of Christ when he exhorted: “If anyone desires to
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23, NKJV).
Don’t be a cross cutter!
Groveland, FL