What does daily really mean?

If you are like me you have heard,and possibly quoted the following: “‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” (Lk 9.23)  I have often thought about what it means to daily deny oneself for Christ.  My thinking on this has ebbed and flowed over time.  Presently I have been doing a study on the phrase “in Christ” in Paul’s writing.  One of the elements of this that is becoming very clear in Romans is the scope of what Christ has done for us.  In Romans 8 Paul tells us that nothing will be able to separate us from the “love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  I actually disagree with Paul on this-there is one thing that can separate us from God’s love-ourselves.  Now I do believe that God is and will actively reveal his love to all creation, but I believe that to be “in Christ” we must respond not once but each day.  In some of the earlier usages of “in Christ” (Romans 6.11, 23; 8.1) there is a very real sense that we are called to participate “in Christ.”  What I mean by this is that in Romans 6 we find that Christ has overcome sin and death.  Paul says that “We were therefore buried with him [Christ] through baptism into death in order that . . . we too may live a new life.” (6.4)  We are invited into a new life, but this new life always rests with us being “in Christ.” i.e. a choice.  So what does it mean to daily pick up our cross?  I believe it means that each day we invite and allow Christ to be the center, the core, of our life by denying self and allowing Christ to reign in our lives.  As we do this and live “in Christ” the fruits of life in him will be evident (cf. Gal 5.22-23).  There are some key traits that are available to help in this.  The essential truth of being daily in God’s Word, mediation on the scriptures and prayer cannot be emphasized enough.  If you are wondering what daily looks like, I think it looks a lot like spending time with God in the Word and in prayer.  From those moments how God will use you is, well, limitless.

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