Most of us have heard the saying "Christians have to pick up their cross on a daily basis" but have we ever really stopped to analyze what that means? Sure, it's easy to interpret that as a quick reminder to hold to our faith when things get tough but what if it's meant to go deeper than that? When Jesus explained to the masses in Mark 8:34-38, he did so with the intention of informing people the realities of what it means to be a Christian. He didn't tell them to pick up the keys to their new sports car right down the road or to pick up free complementary cruise tickets to Hawaii he would be providing. He told them to pick up their very own cross and follow him. No car, no cruise-ship, no Hawaii. The pitch Jesus was trying to sell didn't sound very much like a bargain but he did promise something no one else can provide but him, eternal life. At the end of the day, Jesus leaves the decision up to us. He can provides hundreds of warnings in the Bible that it is in our best interest to listen to him but only we can decide whether or not we're going to pick up that cross on a daily basis. It the decision harder some days than others? Of course but we can find comfort in knowing the ultimate reward will pay its dividends a hundred times over.