Define Good


As I sat with our young adult group last night and watched The Passion of the Christ, one question kept reoccuring in my mind: "Why? Why did it have to be like this? Why did it have to be so harsh? Why?"
God kept bringing back to mind a verse that I read just Wednesday:
Luke 19.10: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
Jesus came with one mission... it was His purpose statement... His ultimate goal...
TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST.
And then the relization hit me... I was "the lost"... you either are or once were "the lost"...
It makes it much more personal. Jesus did that to SEEK and SAVE ME! Wow. Talk about a sobering thought.
So define GOOD, God. There are many of you who have probably questioned the irony in the name of this day.... GOOD Friday.
Last year as I sat in a Good Friday service it occurred to me that I often avoid thinking about the cross. Why? You might ask. Why even as a Christian would I much rather focus on the resurrection than on the cross? This was a question I had to ask myself. I realized that I don't often choose to think about the cross for this reason... When I think about the cross, I have to accept that my sin put Him there. I have to accept that without that I wasn't good enough. I have to accept that His love for me caused Him to suffer. Paul, likely the most influential follower of Christ ever, said this to Timothy, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost."
When I think about the cross though my sadness soon turns to many other emotions: gratitude, joy, peace, hope.... I feel so loved and so cared for that I can't comprehend it. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. Praise Jesus for what He did! Thank God He sent a sacrifice I could have never given! Praise God that He loved me in spite of my sin... enough that He would do whatever to seek and save me. To seek and save YOU! Follower of Christ, don't make a habit of avoiding thoughts of the cross. Think about it. Cry about it. Accept it. Then rejoice over it. Be filled by it. Feel overwhelmed by it! Celebrate it! IT IS GOOD!

The other emotion that my sadness turns to though, is urgency. Urgency to share with others the truth. For others to accept this beautiful Savior of mine who so graciously gave His life for me. Maybe you read this because you know me but you really have no interest in Jesus... Don't miss it! Message me. Call me. I want you to have this feeling too. I want you to have this hope! More than anything I want you to know Jesus on an intimate level. I don't want you to waste what He did on the cross for you. I don't want you to miss it because it is the greatest piece of life. Jesus said "I have come that they may have life and life more abundantly" (John 10.10). Don't miss it.
Christian... don't let the people in your life miss it. We should always be speaking of the cross. We should always be testifying to it's goodness. We should always be directing others to look at Christ.
This GOOD FRIDAY let's remember the cross, be thankful for the cross, celebrate the cross, and proclaim the cross!

CONVERSATION

2 comments:

  1. Love this Brandy!! Gonna start the weekly devotions. Love you. (:

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful post!! So uplifting and encouraging. This Good Friday I will remember the cross, be thankful for the cross, celebrate the cross, and proclaim the cross!

    ReplyDelete

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