Practical Advice

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” -Jesus

“Surprisingly enough, when Jesus begins to unfold this inescapable truth to his disciples, he once more sets them free to choose or reject him. “If any man would come after me,” he says. For it is not a matter of course, not even among the disciples. Nobody can be forced, nobody can even be expected to come. He says rather, “If any man” is prepared to spurn all other offers which come his way in order to follow him. Once again, everything is left for the individual to decide.” [Dietrich Bonhoeffer in The Cost of Discipleship]