Matthew 10:38 English Standard Version (ESV) And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

What does it take to pick up your own cross? It is a symbol of death. If we have died with Christ as Paul cries out to us in Romans 6:8 and now live with Him what is the purpose of my cross?

Sacrifice, a willingness to sacrifice self just as Christ was willing to sacrifice Himself for us.

Paul said he counted all things as lost to win Christ. I cannot pick up my cross and carry with it the things of this world. I cannot even take attitudes and emotions with me to my cross. I have to lay all those things at the foot of my cross and not pick them up again. A thing lost to me is a thing that must not be longed for while a bear my cross. If I do, it is not lost to me.

If we are not willing to choose Christ over all things we have not won Christ. Only Christ has the right to say to us, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” If you think those are laws, you really don’t understand Christ. His command is to love God with all your heart mind, soul and strength. If we can do that He will handle the rest.

1 Corinthians 13:13 English Standard Version (ESV) So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The Father gave us faith, the Holy Spirit gives us hope and Christ is love.

Love gets it done. We can only sacrifice things we love less than God.

What do we place before God?

Proverbs 29:11 English Standard Version (ESV) A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.

No one likes to be called a fool. That is an emotionally charged accusation. What if we see this verse in the light of what is being said here in truth? Spirit in this verse is rûaḥ and can be used in many different ways. The KJV chose to use the work mind, which is another translation.

Another translation says “A [shortsighted] fool always loses his temper and displays his anger,” which is seen as an emotional reaction. Which version of all written brings clarity to our situation at any present time is an emotional reaction by us in that moment. Tomorrow you might feel differently and if God’s Word is working in us then hopefully we will feel differently.

We are emotional people. God created us to be loved and to love. It is directly related to emotions. Love is not our only emotion. Giving in to some of the stronger emotions can cause harm to others that we could regret in the end. Wisdom sees the end result as a deterrent to over reacting to emotional impulses.

Perhaps this is why the AMP includes shortsighted in the description of fool. Actions that are in response to emotions without being tempered by reasonable expectations of outcome can lead to regret. We should choose our words wisely. Once spoken they call upon the hearer to deal with their own emotions and we have lost control of their meaning and intent.

Even when quoting scripture the intent is left with the hearer to find relevant meaning in their situation at that moment. All our good intentions leave us with our words and fall outside of our control. The Holy Spirit will use those words to enact God’s will. What that will might be for another is not for us to say.