Velcro has become a part of everyday life for many of us. But how does it work? Velcro has hundreds of little “hooks” ready to grab onto the “loops”. But if there are no loops, the hooks remain unused.
Here is a hook:Â “And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34).
Here is another: “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s shall save it” (Mark 8:35).
These hooks are incredibly important to Jesus Christ and the survival of the gospel.
But increasingly there seem to be fewer loops among disciples. When we think of our Christian experience, we seldom envision following Christ down the path of self-denial, of lifting our cross with His, of giving up our own desires and ambitions so as to embrace His desires and ambitions.
Preachers have been forced to go quiet on this message. People move to where their “needs are met.”
I think many older believers still would like to be loops. And I think many younger disciples want to be loops too.
But they hear the church calling them to their programs, not to the hooks.
