question
What does it mean to “carry the cross” in Christian references?
evidence
What does it mean to take up your cross and follow Jesus?:
By saying, “Take up your cross and follow Me” Jesus was giving us a word picture of the concept of “death to self,” which originates in another saying of Jesus, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:24-25). The idea is that nothing in this life is worth keeping if it means losing eternal life, not a job, not a family, not a group of friends, not even our very identity. The call is tough, but the eternal reward is well worth the temporary pain.
What Does It Mean to “Take Up Your Cross?”:
To “take up our cross,” however, means to lay our strengths aside. It means to lay our “ego strength” aside. Taking up our cross means, instead, picking up those weaknesses that we so often try to run away from in life. Taking up our cross means carrying around those places where we are vulnerable, places where we are maybe even exposed to embarrassment and shame.
conclusion
To take up the cross means to forsake one’s ego and face one’s weaknesses.