Choosing Jesus Each Day

Reading: Luke 9:23–27

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves 

and take up their cross daily and follow me.” 

Luke 9:23

Jesus speaks these words at a decisive turning point in His ministry. After Peter confesses Him as the Messiah, Jesus begins to speak plainly about His coming suffering, rejection, and death. Standing with His disciples near Caesarea Philippi—within sight of Roman power and the reality of crucifixion—Jesus makes clear that following Him will not lead to comfort or control, but to surrender. When He calls His followers to “take up their cross daily,” He is not offering a metaphor but naming the cost of discipleship. To follow Him means loosening our grip on self-preservation and trusting that “whoever loses their life for me will save it” (Luke 9:24).

This call is both honest and compassionate. Jesus does not hide the difficulty of the path, yet He invites us into a life reoriented toward what truly lasts. Discipleship is not a single dramatic decision made once long ago, but a choice renewed each day. In the ordinary moments of life, we are faced with small but meaningful decisions—whether to choose obedience over ease, love over self-interest, faith over fear. As we deny ourselves and follow Christ, we discover that faithfulness is formed through repeated, quiet acts of surrender.

When our values are reshaped by Jesus, we begin to experience a deeper freedom. Life is no longer secured by holding on, but by entrusting ourselves to the One who gave His life for us and promises eternal life in return (Luke 9:25–27). Choosing Jesus each day draws us into a story larger than ourselves—a life shaped by courage, hope, and everlasting purpose.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, give us grace to choose Your Son each day. Teach us to trust You with our lives, especially when the way is hard, and form our hearts through daily surrender. Lead us in the way that brings true life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.