You Can Bear Your Cross Knowing Jesus Lives in Your Heart

You Can Bear Your Cross Knowing Jesus Lives In Your Heart

Throughout our lives we all bear crosses of many sizes. Naively, we refuse to believe that these crosses are brought on by ourselves and/or our own family and friends. We rarely find fault when we look in the mirror; it is easier to place blame on the actions of others or even better on our government or the whole world for that matter. When our crosses seem too much to bear our uncultivated faith tries to fight and we may be guilty of transferring our anger and blame onto a God that we shout out at and cry, “How could you let this happen to me? I don’t deserve this!” We feel alone and perhaps abandoned when there is no one on earth who understands what we are going through. At this devastating point in our lives, when our emotions are taxed, our abilities hindered, our crosses are extreme, harsh, violent, or stronger than us, who do we turn to when no one else understands?

It’s sad and frankly pathetic that as a last resort we turn to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our society, that is you and me, may lack closeness to Jesus and think that we should be looking to each other to save us from ourselves rather than from a merciful and loving Son of God. We exhaust all measures and suffer many sleepless nights and worrisome days trying to figure out how to fit into the evil world rather than being a part of a movement to move away from it.
Some crosses are small and insignificant annoyances that we would not consider categorizing them as burdensome and as such we view them as manageable, familiar and easily within our capabilities; not finding it necessary to seek the help of another much less Jesus in the most bearable of times. Some crosses like death or disease are so heavy or gravely burdensome that we have been known to beg God to take them from us and we would promise Him anything if He would just take it away. Then there are all the other crosses that fall between trivial and paramount and we teeter between tears, discontentment and letdowns as we attempt to micro-manage them without a hope or a prayer. It is easier to complain and feed off of pity or to say that we are carrying unmerited encumbrances. It’s simpler to seek compassion from others, “oh poor thing, this should never have happened to you.” We naively suffer from feelings of abandonment by our immediate relationships and often the world disappoints us from anything from a nibble of a nuisance to a mass of a catastrophe.

We seek assurance from the support of someone else who is bearing a similar cross. For example, a friend who knows infidelity or a sibling who knows about alcoholism may bring comfort to a situation. The reality is that we must not lean on the expertise of others but rather on Jesus. We are all sinners, we all possess faults, and most are not remotely close to sainthood. However, Jesus, through His crucifixion, turned the darkest and gloomiest of days into the light that we now call hope. He knows what its like to be beaten, rejected, sneered at and ridiculed. He is no stranger to despair and aguish. He knows how you feel, He understands you better than any human being. He suffered a multitude of hopeless feelings, disappointments by people in masses, and still for the love of us He endured great pain and suffering and showed us the triumph possible when your faith is great and unwavering. It is through Him that we will learn to tolerate, forgive, and bear our own daily sufferings. It is through Jesus that we can appreciate and see the blessings, big and small, that are daily gifts to us.

His dying for us tells us that we are not alone in this temporary place and that through His death we are promised a glorious eternal life. Let’s wake up from our slumber! Begin now during these 40 days of Lent to grow closer to Christ. Turn away from foolishly spending time trying to fit into to groups, clicks and an out of control culture with cars, homes, fashion, hairdos and the latest electronics. Pour your energy and valuable time into a relationship that will bring you joy, comfort, and peace and become active in seeking the world that Jesus came to proclaim as ours. Heaven is our world and eternity belongs to us.

Today, turn away from yourself and the evil of this world and take up your cross daily to follow Jesus. He does not promise to remove all pain and suffering, but He will lighten your burdens when you walk with Him. He promises to be with you when your day is wonderful or in a shambles.

Beam with triumph because Jesus has got your back when turmoil hits. Smile with gratitude and assurance when you see His hand touch your life. Grin from ear to ear when you sprinkle the world with love because you’ll know then that Jesus lives in your heart.