January 12, 2026
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer · Source: The Cost of Discipleship, Preface (tr. R. H. Fuller)
Luke 9:23 Jesus then said to the crowd, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself every day and take up his cross and follow me.”
Jesus spoke of "self-denying daily," not a momentary impulse, but choosing to follow even in the most ordinary, weary, and wanting-to-relax moments. Bonhoeffer reminds us that Jesus' commandment "never seeks to destroy life, but to foster, strengthen and heal it." Christ's call may initially seem like deprivation—time is taken away, comfort is interrupted, plans are rearranged; but as we go on, we realize that what is being taken away is not life itself, but the burdens that stagnate and dull the soul. True freedom is not about paying less, but about being willing to submit even with the cost. Today's perseverance, seemingly just completing a lesson, is actually training a heart that does not run away but is willing to follow.
Lord Jesus, I confess that in moments of weariness and stress, I often seek an easier path. Teach me to understand that your "daily self-denial" doesn't mean I must rely on willpower to persevere, but rather that I must relinquish my sovereignty to you each day. When I feel I'm giving too much and seeing no meaning in it, help me to believe that obedience is not a loss of freedom, but a path to true life. Hold me up as I walk this day, and as I walk this final stretch of the road. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.