a follower

Matthew 16 

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, 

“If any of you wants to be my follower, 

you must give up your own way, 

take up your cross, 

and follow me. 

25 If you try to hang on to your life, 

you will lose it. 

But if you give up your life for my sake, 

you will save it. 

26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 

Is anything worth more than your soul? 

(NLT)

Matthew 16

24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. 

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. 

You’re not in the driver’s seat; 

I am. 

Don’t run from suffering; 

embrace it. 

Follow me 

and I’ll show you how. 

Self-help is no help at all. 

Self-sacrifice is the way, 

my way, 

to finding yourself, 

your true self. 

What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? 

What could you ever trade your soul for? 

(The Message)

Matthew 16

24-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, 

“If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps 

he must give up all right to himself, 

take up his cross 

and follow me. 

For the man who wants to save his life will lose it; 

but the man who loses his life for my sake will find it. 

For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world at the price of his own soul? 

What could a man offer to buy back his soul once he had lost it? 

(J B Phillips)