It’s so easy to get up each morning, do our work, enjoy some relaxation or entertainment, and fall into bed each night without giving any thought to God’s involvement in our lives.
Nobody wore a miniature cross around the neck or displayed one in a place of worship in Christ's day. The cross was a torturous means of execution, and the mere thought of it was repulsive.
The cross is a place of brokenness, but it's necessary because there's no other way we'll ever bear fruit. But those who willingly die to themselves will produce an abundance of spiritual fruit.