HE WEIGHED YOUR CROSS BEFORE HE STUCK YOUR NAME ON IT
If I were asked to give two words that best describe Life, I would say – change and challenge. These are two things that everyone regardless of their age, gender, race or religion will experience countless times during their life time. There is a 100% guarantee that everyone will experience life’s storms at some point or the other if they continue to have the breath of life in their nostrils. But have you ever felt like you’ve been dealt a heavier blow than anyone else alive?
I know that a fundamental requirement for any disciple of Christ is to pick up their cross daily, following the Master (Luke 9:23) but have there been seasons in your life that you felt you must have picked up the wrong cross? Have you ever found yourself asking God to cross check the name tag on the cross you were bearing because you were totally convinced the weight of that cross could not possibly be for people in your category? You know, like setting up a light weight boxer against a heavy weight champion?
When I was much younger, I had an ambition similar to that James and John (Mark 10:37). Mine wasn’t to sit at Jesus’ right or left in His coming kingdom ( I guess those positions must have been filled by now since people have been vying for them as far back as when Jesus walked this earth!!). I used to pray for trials because I wanted to be a saint! But as I grew older and started facing the storms of life, I returned to God and asked Him to delete those request I made as a child (my guess is the delete button is broken – you know what I mean?). I remember the days when I got beaten for attending church, the days when I came home to no food as my punishment for sneaking out of the house to attend church. I used to dance and rejoice like the apostles did the first time they when beaten with many strokes for preaching the gospel.
Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name (Acts 5:38-41 NIV)
It is easy to dance when your cross is ‘feather weight’. What do you do when your cross appears to be ‘heavy weight’? I have learnt to plead my case with God –
"Present your case," says the LORD. "Set forth your arguments," says Jacob's King. (Isaiah 41:21 NIV). But I do it the way Jesus did, I ask God to let the cup pass me by, but if I must drink of it, then let His will be done.
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39 KJV)
The reason I do this is because I am aware that not every cross is my cross just as not every yoke or burden is the Lord’s. No one can run away from carrying a cross in life, if we do not pick up our cross, Satan will put his cross on us. The good news is for followers of Jesus, each person’s cross is custom made to fit the carrier. And His cross is like His yoke which is easy and His burden that is light. Crosses, yokes or burdens, light or heavy are no fun to our fallen nature. However, Jesus has never required us to do anything He did not set an example for us. He led by example. Each cross yoke or burden designed by God is aimed at bringing out the best in us. Life is an endurance race. Our endurance level determines the degree of authority that will be bestowed upon us here on earth and the rewards that will be awaiting us once we step out of time.
What is it about endurance? See what the bible says –
By your endurance you will save your life (Luke 21:19 GW)
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth (Rev 3:10 ESV)
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:3-4 ESV)
We see that endurance is a key ingredient for producing hope. In my opinion, hope in God is everything because it is the root that sustains faith, without which no one can please God.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:30-31 NIV)
So endurance is the answer to a ‘heavy weight cross’.
Monday is the Memorial Day in the US, a day set aside to honor all who served and are still serving in all segments of the armed forces. A service was held today at our church in honor of the living and fallen heroes of this great nation. Our Senior Pastor gave gifts to everyone that has served in the armed forces in any capacity. They were all seated on the front row and everyone got a chance to shake their hands and thank them for their service to this country. One thing our pastor did that caught my attention was that he did not only thank them individually for their service, he also thanked them for submitting themselves to training!
As I watched that, the Holy Spirit bore witness to my spirit that in the same way our heavenly Father will reward us for every study, and training we undertake on earth that makes servicemen fit for use by God, (2 Timothy 2:15). It’s exciting to know that we are not just going to be rewarded for our services but also for our training (which sometimes comes disguised as trials, cross, yoke and burden)! I find this comforting because some people will spend most of their lives being trained and be used only in the last lap of their time on earth, but they will still be rewarded just as if they were in their assignment all the time. Remember the parable of the workers in the vineyard? (Matthew 20:1-15).
You may not be dancing over your cross but if you hang in there, with a decent attitude, you will get to your place of victory. For the joy that was set before Him, Jesus endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). Sometimes, the weight and pain of the cross may cause you to stumble, but don’t give up. When I find myself in a place like that, I pray that God will send me my ‘Simon of Cyrene’ (Believe me, you will need one at some point), because I’ve come too far to back off, waited too long to give up, hung on too long to let go now. If I can’t run, I will walk, if that is impossible, I will crawl so long as I’m moving towards the finish line.
And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross (Mark 15:21 ESV)
If you perceive you are ‘light weight’ and are carrying a ‘heavy weight’ cross, you might want to update your beliefs about yourself. God will never put a ‘heavy weight’ cross on a ‘light weight’ saint. He promised none belonging to Him will ever be tempted beyond what they can endure (1Corinthians 10:13). He weighed your cross before He put your name on it. If He put it on you, it’s because you’re worth it!
Stay the course!
With Love,
Angela
P.S
The Orofino Public Library will be hosting my book signing between 1.30 -3.30 pm on Tuesday 26th of May 2008. If you are in the area, do stop by. Will be looking forward to seeing you!
I know that a fundamental requirement for any disciple of Christ is to pick up their cross daily, following the Master (Luke 9:23) but have there been seasons in your life that you felt you must have picked up the wrong cross? Have you ever found yourself asking God to cross check the name tag on the cross you were bearing because you were totally convinced the weight of that cross could not possibly be for people in your category? You know, like setting up a light weight boxer against a heavy weight champion?
When I was much younger, I had an ambition similar to that James and John (Mark 10:37). Mine wasn’t to sit at Jesus’ right or left in His coming kingdom ( I guess those positions must have been filled by now since people have been vying for them as far back as when Jesus walked this earth!!). I used to pray for trials because I wanted to be a saint! But as I grew older and started facing the storms of life, I returned to God and asked Him to delete those request I made as a child (my guess is the delete button is broken – you know what I mean?). I remember the days when I got beaten for attending church, the days when I came home to no food as my punishment for sneaking out of the house to attend church. I used to dance and rejoice like the apostles did the first time they when beaten with many strokes for preaching the gospel.
Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name (Acts 5:38-41 NIV)
It is easy to dance when your cross is ‘feather weight’. What do you do when your cross appears to be ‘heavy weight’? I have learnt to plead my case with God –
"Present your case," says the LORD. "Set forth your arguments," says Jacob's King. (Isaiah 41:21 NIV). But I do it the way Jesus did, I ask God to let the cup pass me by, but if I must drink of it, then let His will be done.
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39 KJV)
The reason I do this is because I am aware that not every cross is my cross just as not every yoke or burden is the Lord’s. No one can run away from carrying a cross in life, if we do not pick up our cross, Satan will put his cross on us. The good news is for followers of Jesus, each person’s cross is custom made to fit the carrier. And His cross is like His yoke which is easy and His burden that is light. Crosses, yokes or burdens, light or heavy are no fun to our fallen nature. However, Jesus has never required us to do anything He did not set an example for us. He led by example. Each cross yoke or burden designed by God is aimed at bringing out the best in us. Life is an endurance race. Our endurance level determines the degree of authority that will be bestowed upon us here on earth and the rewards that will be awaiting us once we step out of time.
What is it about endurance? See what the bible says –
By your endurance you will save your life (Luke 21:19 GW)
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth (Rev 3:10 ESV)
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:3-4 ESV)
We see that endurance is a key ingredient for producing hope. In my opinion, hope in God is everything because it is the root that sustains faith, without which no one can please God.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:30-31 NIV)
So endurance is the answer to a ‘heavy weight cross’.
Monday is the Memorial Day in the US, a day set aside to honor all who served and are still serving in all segments of the armed forces. A service was held today at our church in honor of the living and fallen heroes of this great nation. Our Senior Pastor gave gifts to everyone that has served in the armed forces in any capacity. They were all seated on the front row and everyone got a chance to shake their hands and thank them for their service to this country. One thing our pastor did that caught my attention was that he did not only thank them individually for their service, he also thanked them for submitting themselves to training!
As I watched that, the Holy Spirit bore witness to my spirit that in the same way our heavenly Father will reward us for every study, and training we undertake on earth that makes servicemen fit for use by God, (2 Timothy 2:15). It’s exciting to know that we are not just going to be rewarded for our services but also for our training (which sometimes comes disguised as trials, cross, yoke and burden)! I find this comforting because some people will spend most of their lives being trained and be used only in the last lap of their time on earth, but they will still be rewarded just as if they were in their assignment all the time. Remember the parable of the workers in the vineyard? (Matthew 20:1-15).
You may not be dancing over your cross but if you hang in there, with a decent attitude, you will get to your place of victory. For the joy that was set before Him, Jesus endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). Sometimes, the weight and pain of the cross may cause you to stumble, but don’t give up. When I find myself in a place like that, I pray that God will send me my ‘Simon of Cyrene’ (Believe me, you will need one at some point), because I’ve come too far to back off, waited too long to give up, hung on too long to let go now. If I can’t run, I will walk, if that is impossible, I will crawl so long as I’m moving towards the finish line.
And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross (Mark 15:21 ESV)
If you perceive you are ‘light weight’ and are carrying a ‘heavy weight’ cross, you might want to update your beliefs about yourself. God will never put a ‘heavy weight’ cross on a ‘light weight’ saint. He promised none belonging to Him will ever be tempted beyond what they can endure (1Corinthians 10:13). He weighed your cross before He put your name on it. If He put it on you, it’s because you’re worth it!
Stay the course!
With Love,
Angela
P.S
The Orofino Public Library will be hosting my book signing between 1.30 -3.30 pm on Tuesday 26th of May 2008. If you are in the area, do stop by. Will be looking forward to seeing you!
posted by Angela Lougee | 1:23 AM
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