Love, and keep going.

Meet us here, God. | April 3, 2010

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”                                 Luke 22:42-44

What must it be like to know that you’re about to encounter death in a gruesome, horrible, degrading way? To know that you will be mocked by the ones you love? Laughed at, slapped, and berated? Nailed to a piece of wood and hung from the skin of your hands and feet?

When I think of my savior in those moments on the Mount of Olives, praying in anguish, knowing his death was near, but asking the Father if there is any other way… it breaks my heart. It hurts to think of the pain He endured. It also reminds me of the love He has for me. A love that goes so far beyond my understanding and comprehension that I can do nothing but stand in awe before it. His love not only set us free from the grips of death, but it gave us the freedom to live a life full of opportunities to love and serve others into the presence of our Lord and Savior.

For me, the cross and the love Jesus for me demands a life in response. How do I respond to the fact that Jesus died on a cross because I am sinful? How do I respond to what the word says in John 3:16 – that God loved me so much He gave His only son so that He could spend an eternity with me? How do I respond to the love Christ has for me?

By opening my heart to him daily, giving him permission to mold me, to burn away the things that are not of him. By confiding in Him, and seeking His wisdom in those times when I am not sure what to do (and even when I think I may know what to do..) By constantly pursuing more understanding of His love for me through reading the truth found in the Word and through prayer and meditation.

Lastly, I respond to the cross and the Saviors love for me by loving and serving others who are in need. The 3,500,000 homeless men, women, and children throughout America who have been pushed aside and neglected. The millions of young men and women who have been forced into sex slavery across the world. The children in Uganda who are kidnapped and forced to fight in a war they have no stake in. The billions who are caught up in a lie that there is no God, and no way into the presence of a loving Savior who died for us… There is so much injustice and need that we are living in the midst of, and we’ve been given the opportunity through the love of Christ to respond to that need just as Jesus responded to our need for Him.

Be reminded that easter is more than just the cross and resurrection – it’s an opportunity to recognize that WE can love and serve the hurting, homeless, lost, and abused into the presence of the Lord. Through the power of Christ, we can be a part of the healing process for the hurting. Through the power of Christ, we can be a part of the life change that homeless man on the corner needs. Through the love of Christ we can see those who don’t know the truth have their eyes opened. The cross gives us the opportunity to love, to go, to believe, and to serve. Not for the sake of social justice, or any other trendy word – but for the cause of Christ. To make Him famous and known.

Let’s honor the cross this year by loving those who are homeless, abused, and have been forgotten. Get involved with others who are already working on those areas. Let the relationship you enjoy with Christ change the lives of those who have all but given up on life.