Every Christian has one
We all have crosses to carry – to each his own. There are heavier crosses and lighter ones – it depends on your relationship with God. But everyone feels the burden of carrying his/her own cross in living out the Christian life. The cross that Christ carried, they say, weighs about 75 kg. Sometimes we feel like our cross is too heavy to bear so we lay it down and leave it behind for a while. We wander about and get some quick fixes here and there to make us happy. We feel like we deserve a break.
When we lay down our cross, we immediately feel the burden of Christianity lifted away from us as if there is some sort of freedom. Little do we know that the same freedom we experience is just a different kind of burden – the burden of the world. There is no such thing as freedom in this life. It’s either you are serving Christ or you are serving the world. One eternal, one temporal. True freedom is when something is living out its real purpose. It is when you are free to be who you really are meant to be.
Defenseless
As we lay down our cross, we also lay down the name of Christ and we also lay down our testimony. We invite vulnerability towards the world in our lives. This vulnerability usually damages our testimonies as compromise sets in. Suddenly, you feel like you are unable to witness for Christ because you have invited the world into your life. Yes, we feel some sort of ‘freedom’ but we are also defenseless without our cross. The cross is our defense. It is the reminder of God’s truth. It keeps the Armor of God intact.
This world has so much to offer and our curiosity is intensely enticed. When we allow ourselves to pursue the matters of this world, we suddenly feel the weight of our crosses and we find that we can’t move much in the ways of this world while we carry it. So we lay it down – promising ourselves that we will one day take it up again.
Little do we know that when we stumble upon our cross once more, it will seem heavier, rougher, and downright unattractive. But that’s the cross you once loved. That’s the cross you once shared. That’s the cross you gave your life to because you know it’s the only way to heaven. That’s the cross of Christ. And it has now become less interesting because you have tasted the things that this world has offered you. So you go on your way.
No one else will carry your cross
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” – Matthew 16:24
Jesus specifically says ‘take up his cross’
To each his own cross.
To each cross it’s own weight.
To each cross it’s own nail.
No one else will take up your cross. Only you can carry it. That is why God created you. All things has its purpose and reason. We owe God. What is it that God is calling you to do? Carry your cross. Don’t leave yourself defenseless.