“Take up your cross” - clarified

We know – it doesn't mean to simply wear a symbol.

We want to make sure that our use of the phrase "take up your cross" isn't construed as a shallow misunderstanding of that command. So let's clarify what those words actually mean.

The phrase comes from Jesus's words in Matthew 16:24-25:

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.'"

To "deny oneself" is the most extreme version of selflessness there is. Jesus is telling us life is not about what we want. It's not even about what we need. Indeed, trying to focus only on our own needs (even in order to "save our lives") will have the opposite effect on an eternal time scale. We're called to put our identity in Christ, not ourselves.

Taking up our cross means to bear the burden of others – as Jesus bore ours, even unto death. It means we are to give of ourselves – our time, our energy, our thoughts, our love, and yes, our money. This can be a hard lesson. When Jesus told the rich man in Mark 10 to give up his money – the very thing that defined him and on which he relied - he went away sad. The more he had, the harder it was to let it go.

At Cross Stitch Clothing Company, we want to give joyously, and we're inviting you to join us in that endeavor. When you buy one of our shirts, you are putting money toward something more than just cross-shaped threads on a tee. You're contributing toward ministries that give sacrificially to others. And the more shirts we sell, the more we'll give away.

That's how we’re taking up our cross.