[Intro]
You never said,
“Follow Me,
and nothing will hurt.”

You never promised
an easy road.

You said:

Deny yourself.

Take up your cross.

Follow Me.

So here I am.

[Verse 1]
I have wanted resurrection
without ever wanting graves.
I have wanted crowns of glory
without walking through the pain.

I have prayed for open doorways.
I have asked for easier roads.
But maybe faith is sometimes proven
when You lead where I won't go.

Because the cross was never comfort.
It was never meant to be.
It is death to my ambition.
It is death to living for me.

So if following You costs something,
let me never turn away.
I would rather walk beside You
through the fire
than leave Your way.

[Pre-Chorus]
When the road gets narrow,
I will follow.

When the weight gets heavy,
I will follow.

When the world says,
“Save yourself,”

I'll remember
Who saved me.

[Chorus]
I'll take up my cross
and follow You.
Whatever it costs,
whatever I lose.

If my comfort has to die,
if my plans don't survive,
Jesus, You are still
worth giving my life.

No turning back.
No other road.
You carried Yours
all the way to Golgotha.

So I'll take up my cross
and follow You.

[Scripture]
Luke nine, verse twenty-three:
If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

[Verse 2]
When my faith becomes unpopular,
let me never hide Your name.
When obedience brings rejection,
keep me standing unashamed.

If my friends don't understand me,
if the room begins to change,
give me courage not to trade truth
just to make the tension fade.

When forgiveness feels like dying,
I'll forgive because You did.
When I'm wounded, let me love them.
When I'm hated, let me bless.

When my flesh demands an easier road,
remind me what You said:

Whoever wants to follow Me
must first
deny himself.

[Chorus]
I'll take up my cross
and follow You.
Whatever it costs,
whatever I lose.

If my comfort has to die,
if my plans don't survive,
Jesus, You are still
worth giving my life.

No turning back.
No other road.
You carried Yours
all the way to Golgotha.

So I'll take up my cross
and follow You.

[Bridge]
You didn't stop
when they betrayed You.

You didn't stop
when they struck You.

You didn't stop
when they mocked You.

You didn't stop
when they drove the nails through.

You didn't stop
when the crowd rejected You.

You didn't stop
when the sky turned dark.

You carried the cross
all the way.

And You tell me:

Follow.

[Build]
So kill my need for comfort.

Kill my hunger for approval.

Kill the part of me
that only follows
when following feels good.

Philippians three, verse eight:
I count all things to be loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Then let me lose
what I have to lose.

Let me leave
what I have to leave.

Let me surrender
what I have to surrender.

But don't let me
walk away from You.

[Breakdown]
If I have You
and lose everything...

I still have Christ.

If I gain everything
and lose You...

I have nothing.

[Final Chorus]
I'll take up my cross
and follow You.
Whatever it costs,
whatever I lose.

Through rejection.
Through the fire.
Through the valley.
Through the night.

When obedience hurts,
I'll still choose Christ.

When the narrow road
takes everything,
I'll still choose Christ.

No turning back.
No other throne.
No other King
will own my soul.

You carried Your cross
all the way for me.

I'll carry mine
and follow Thee.

[Outro]
Not because it's easy.

Not because it makes
my life comfortable.

Not because I know
where the road will lead.

Because You are Lord.

Deny yourself.

Take up your cross.

Daily.

Follow Me.

Yes, Lord.

I will.
