「若有人要跟從我，就當否認己，背起他的十字架，並跟從我。」－馬可福音8:34
- 也許當我有能力擔負更大的工作時，主要我心滿意足地留在卑微的環境裡；
- 或許當田地貧瘠荒蕪，寸草不生，主要我年復一年繼續耕種；
- 或許主要我對曾傷過我的人，心存慈憐，溫柔的對待他，設身處地為他著想，並幫助他化解為難；
- 可能我需要在一群厭棄主名和主話的人中，為祂作見證；
- 也許在我心力交瘁時，主要我進到人群中，展現出如晨光般燦爛的笑臉。
我不會自討沒趣地去找十字架來背；但我知道當我舉起十架的時候，若我樂意順服、存心忍耐、並歡喜迎接，那就是耶穌離我最近的時刻。
「祂靠過身來，藉著痛苦經歷，增長我的智慧、加深我的平安、鼓舞我的勇氣、增廣我的能力，使我成為眾人的祝福，使我在沈重的擔子下成長。」這段話是我在蘇格蘭盟約者的封印上讀到的，那時他正被柯拉維豪斯子爵囚於浪潮滾滾、海水嗚咽的巴斯。
－史麥利
"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Mark 8:34).The cross which my Lord bids me take up and carry may assume different shapes. I may have to content myself with a lowly and narrow sphere, when I feel that I have capacities for much higher work. I may have to go on cultivating year after year, a field which seems to yield me no harvests whatsoever. I may be bidden to cherish kind and loving thoughts about someone who has wronged me--be bidden speak to him tenderly, and take his part against all who oppose him, and crown him with sympathy and succor. I may have to confess my Master amongst those who do not wish to be reminded of Him and His claims. I may be called to "move among my race, and show a glorious morning face," when my heart is breaking.
There are many crosses, and every one of them is sore and heavy. None of them is likely to be sought out by me of my own accord. But never is Jesus so near me as when I lift my cross, and lay it submissively on my shoulder, and give it the welcome of a patient and unmurmuring spirit.
He draws close, to ripen my wisdom, to deepen my peace, to increase my courage, to augment my power to be of use to others, through the very experience which is so grievous and distressing, and then--as I read on the seal of one of those Scottish Covenanters whom Claverhouse imprisoned on the lonely Bass, with the sea surging and sobbing round--I grow under the load.--Alexander Smellie.
