what if we carry our cross like we are asked?

Its a little ironic really, that this time of year is busiest compared to all other seasons, all other celebrations. Lent! Easter! Just when my inner tells me to slow down, to take time to dive deeper into scripture, deeper into self awareness, life just speeds up, fills up and continues. 

Bringing me back to lent…. 

Jesus didn’t carry the cross to gain our love, but because He loved the Father. 

Jesus knew the cross was obedience in the Father’s love and would express His won unquenchable love for all of us. For you. 

But the cross didn’t bring joy - Jesus did it FOR Joy. Joy that only could be the praised and open approval of God the Father. 

The power of that love was so pure it caused the resurrection of True Love. What God had planned for us to experience all along. From the Genesis garden to the Garden of Gethsemane, the world ached for this kind of love and joy to return. The relationship could finally be restored and Jesus would have Joy. 

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” 

(Matthew 16:24)

What if we carry our cross like we are asked to? 

As the world shouts and clamours chaotic around us God whispers songs of hope over our hearts. My greatest joy in life is simply holding a megaphone for His words as He calls His children, the arrests, to Himself. 

As I have been sitting with Pauls letter to the Philippians (4:4-9), today the deep assurance and faith that he writes is one of rich beauty and love that comes only from the Lord. While Paul sits in prison been on trail for preaching it is evident he is not sitting moping! in the words you can see this is someone who knows the real meaning of joy,

“Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, Rejoice” 

(Philippians 4:4)

I read this article about a doctor who was wearing orange scrubs over the 40days of lent to feel connected with those in prison, to remind himself of the trails they go through. It got me thinking about how we witness people carrying their crosses, what impact this has on us. After all, Paul is encouraging us to press for higher calling, recognising that what we spend the most time thinking about shapes, over time, who we are, who we see, what we can imagine and therefore, what we can do. 

“Let your gentleness be known to all. The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5)

In my reflection book that I use to journey beside scripture (Abide, Marcrina Wiederkehr) 

She writes 

Here is a summary of your rule of life:-

I will let joy be an echo of God’s abiding presence in my life. 

I will attune my heart to the needs of others so that my kindness will blossom

My trust in the blessings of daily life will give me more power than my anxiety about daily living

Gratitude and thankfulness will be the centre of all my prayer

I will invite the peace of Christ to stand guard over my heart. 

Bring me back to the question - What if we carried our cross like we are asked to? That very thing we are avoiding because we don’t enjoy it, feel like it’s beneath us, or figure we aren’t cut out for it… is the very thing necessary to restore a relationship with Love and have Joy. 

I am able to love - writing my blog, cleaning the house when there are more ‘holy’ items on my to-do list,  understanding the dialogue before me when at times all I want is black and white. But God, please let me not carry my cross to get love. But because I love the person it matters to, I carry my cross in all the everyday ways, the private ways and the mundane ways and become the love. And then Love pours out of me. 

I carry my cross and die a little more to myself. 

I carry my cross and complain or get frustrated less. 

I carry my cross and grow closer to the Father because that’s the only path to Him. 

I carry my cross and see the Joy set before me. 

I carry my cross and can forgive those who hurt me. 

The Joy set before Jesus was us. The full measure of Jesus’ joy is HIs desire for those who belong to Him. 

Knowing that we are Jesus’ ultimate glory reward, and experiencing all the overwhelming feelings associated with being that loved, reminds us how those we love will feel a small portion of that joy when we carry our cross everyday in obedience and focus our gaze on God the Father. 

Jesus joy teaches us to look beyond present discomfort to lasting triumph. It is the joy of God’s presence. For the Joy that is set before us, will you pick up your cross and follow?