What's your cross...It's Worth it.

What is your cross, and how are you carrying it? If you are a follower of Christ, you will have one, but it’s worth it.

When I look at the cross,  I think of this Great Love, and all Jesus went through for me, because I was worth it to Him. How he suffered when they beat Him, yet He did not open His mouth, Isaiah 53:7-10. He kept going knowing it was the will of His Father. “Then Pilate handed Him over to be crucified… carrying His own cross He went”…. John 19: 16-17. Still He kept going, to die for me, and you, and the sins of the world. He never gave up, or threw His cross down. He was half dead before they even hung Him on that cross. Why… because we were worth it. Not because we loved Him, not because of anything we did, but because “He first loved us.” Romans 5:8, “While we were yet sinners.”We didn’t have to change, or clean up our act. He loved us right where we were at.

This act of love and suffering, is one that I believe will take us our whole life here on earth to develop. Can you even fathom this kind of love Jesus had for us? Ephesians 3:14-19. My prayer for us all is, “to grasp, how wide, and long, and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

No matter how you look at it “Longsuffering” seems to go with being a Christian. Not one of the “fruits” many of us are aware we signed up for. Jesus says in Matthew 20:22 “Can you drink from the same cup I am going to drink?” He says in Luke 9:23 “take up his cross, and follow me.” It says in Galatians 4:19 that Paul was “in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” God wants us to be conformed into Christ image, so that others may see Christ, and may want what we have.

I read a statement from a Christian writer that said “ The messenger, MUST become the message itself.” (Selah) Not just talk the talk, and pray the prayer, and sing the songs, but live the message of God’s love, joy, peace, patience(meaning, longsuffering) etc. One of Jesus main commands was to love… yes, even pray for our enemies, those who persecute us. Matthew 5:44-46.

My question is, how can we talk about the “fruits of the Spirit”, or God’s message of love and patience, if we have not first, or still, are experiencing it ourselves? Paul’s prayer should be our prayer, 2 Corinthians 4:10-12, “death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” Love hurts, but can change someone else’s life. Are you willing with Christ at work in you? Who, and what is your cross? Who is God trying to get to through you?

Remember the promise in 2 Timothy2:12, “if we suffer for Him, we shall also reign with Him.” The Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts to be all the things we are not. Love that works, works at love. There is NO OTHER WAY! It’s worth it,… to know my Jesus more, and more.

P.S. Thank you Mom how you show this love with daddy,… and press on, never give up, He is with you, and carrying you when you’re tired. Making you “mature, and complete, not lacking anything” James 1: 2-4.

Grace and peace, and God’s strength to all who carry that cross in your life.

Kim