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LOOKING FOR MY CROSS

First, some background.

So, what is the Cross about in the first place? What does it even mean? It would amaze you the number of people who have a very vague idea of what the Cross actually means outside the piece of wood on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. I must point out here that we aren’t referring to just any cross, as in those days it was a not unfamiliar way to punish criminal offenders. The Cross we are referring to is the one on which the Lord Jesus was crucified, which was and still is a symbol of sacrifice, love and selflessness. It is always amazing when I remember that Christ was under no compulsion to come to Earth and die for man’s salvation, to show and provide a way back to God, but because of the love He has for man, He left His glory in heaven, a glory that we cannot even begin to fathom or comprehend, and came to Earth, not thinking of Himself or His welfare, to be the perfect sacrifice, one which needs to be done once and for all, the perfect propitiation for sin. The Cross also symbolizes suffering, shame and pain. The process of crucifixion was not a pretty one, and no part of it was done in the interest of human rights. With all the pain, He was also exposed to public ridicule and looks of disgust. And all this, for man who didn’t deserve it then, and who still rejects it today. But, was it worth it? God thinks so, and so does every Christian.

Speaking of every christian, this brings us to our topic of today. Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross was carried out, once and for all, with no need to repeat the process, so why do we have a cross to bear?

Matthew 10:38 says, Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (NIV) The Amplified Version puts it this way: And he who does not take up his cross and follow me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conforming wholly to My example in living, and if need be, in dying also] is not worthy of Me. As Christians, every day we live for Christ, we carry our own cross, and for very much the same reason as Christ carried His own Cross – for the salvation of the soul of man. It means that everything that Christ experienced, we should be prepared to endure the same. We should be the embodiment of sacrifice, love and selflessness in everything we do. Our lives are our message, our lives are our testimony, our lives show hope to a world without hope. This means that we will not always have the popular opinion, but our word is the truth. The Bible also said in Matthew 16:24 that, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. As we strive to be more like Christ, we should always carry our cross, and follow Him.

Unfortunately, because of the challenges and situations we find ourselves in life, we are accustomed to dropping our crosses to go and solve the problems we face. Times come when we face some times of trial or even times of plenty when we forget whose example we are supposed to be following, and we become so overwhelmed, that in retrospect, we can’t imagine how much we lost it. Following Christ and being like Him was never a call in to the easy life; it was an invitation into Life, and it is now our duty to show others the Light so that they also might live the Life that we have. In our contemporary times, it is easier than ever before to be so swamped that we forget what matters most, and what is at the center of God’s desire for man, which is that all should come to repentance, and none should perish. God has not called all Christians to be preachers or bible teachers, but we have all called to be witnesses, to be ambassadors, to preach salvation with our lives, which is the most efficient way. We have to go back, find our crosses, die daily and show the world Christ, and the Life He gives freely to all we receive. It might be okay to forget your cross on the odd occasion, but it would be an abuse of your being alive to ignore it, and refuse to represent the One who redeemed you from death to eternal life.

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A WASTE OF SUFFERING

 

Isn’t life the most unpredictable concept you ever came across? I wonder sometimes how it would be if everything was straightforward, no curve balls, no glitches in the works, no unforeseen circumstances… Would it be better then than it is now? Would we be happier? Would we achieve as much or even more than we do currently? Would there be less conflict among individuals, organizations and governments?

It is no secret that life will not always turn out as you have planned it. It is also no secret that every single person alive will have days they wished they never had, meaning that anyone crooning that life is particularly unfair to them is contained in a very small package.

Also it is no secret that times of misfortune will befall both those considered to be good or bad in nature, and not necessarily a consequence of bad behaviour on one’s part. Misfortune actually seems to be pronounced when it picks on an innocent person to show its character. But then, in reality, this popular items of knowledge hardly ever seem to produce a relief, and people go through various degrees of suffering just waiting for when it would all be over, and they can put the episode behind them. This is a lot like someone going to college, and just praying that graduation will come sooner than later.

Every person will chart his own course in life. Everyone’s life will have its high and low times. Why all humans will NEVER be the same is because of REACTION: how you respond to events in your life will define the structure of your life. Suffering, pain, misfortune; they are not billed as interesting moments in your life, but when you realize that there is so much you could gain from those periods, you will not look forward to them, but you would exploit every opportunity they present. An opportunity to develop a stronger mind, a lesson in patience and endurance, a chance to correct some wrongs in your life, a motivation to press forward to achieve what you want, a challenge to outgrow some events and people in your life; all these and many more would be harder to come by in terms of relative sanity and order. Someone once said that great men are never developed in moments of peace, but in times of war.

I have gone through A LOT in the past one year. Two things have kept me going: first, God’s Word. It has been like every single time I open my Bible I see something telling me to NEVER give up, and to always hold on, telling me my future will be bright, and even brighter than I can see. Second thing is, I have absolutely refused to see myself as a failure of any sort. Some things were not in my control, a few were, but I am still my biggest fan. God is going to give me my expected end; He wouldn’t lie about that. All I will do is put myself in the best possible position to be blessed maximally.

Do not waste your suffering. It would be a massive mistake. There are lessons that only suffering and adversity will teach you. You do not want to miss those lessons.

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