Jesus didn’t mince words. In Matthew chapter sixteen verse twenty-four, He lays it out plain: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Same command in Mark chapter eight verse thirty-four and Luke chapter nine verse twenty-three. Three Gospels, one non-negotiable: the cross is not optional. But here’s where we get tripped up—we treat “the cross” like a vague spiritual buzzword instead of a custom-fitted instrument of death. Your cross isn’t my cross. It’s not a metaphor for every inconvenience. It’s the specific place where your will collides with God’s will, and you choose to die so He can live through you.