And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. - Luke 9:23

There seems to be an issue facing believers. There is a movement afoot that suggests that there is no need to do much in the Christian life - God will do it for you - as long as you are faithful in delivering your tithes and offerings. But, the truth of the matter is, God will do for you exactly what He has already planned. Nothing more. Nothing less. He does not need to do more than He has planned because His plan for your life is perfect. He is not going to do less than His plan for your life because He will not violate His own nature. What He has for you is quite frankly, yours. To access what He has for you, you must first believe that He is.

Once you start down your own individual Christian journey, you will learn what it means to deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Him. It's not that the Christian life is a cakewalk. Instead, you will go through things - some of those things may not be so pleasant - but therein lies an opportunity. God will test you to prove you and produce in you a testimony. So, please, do not fall into the misconception that the Christian life is a cakewalk. Instead, it takes determination. You must pick up your cross - every single day - and walk in the steps of your Savior. Follow Him.