Take Up Your CrossSample

Joy

Ask a group of mothers to recount stories of childbirth and you will likely hear tales that rival the best war stories ever told.

“Twenty-four hours of labor!” one will exclaim.

“That’s nothing,” says another, “mine was 27 hours. And I had twins!”

When you consider the magnitude of the pain and trauma that the female body must endure in order to give birth, it is amazing that the human race exists at all. Why would any woman willingly put herself through that much torment, especially after growing up hearing stories like these?

The answer is simple. As painful as the childbirth experience might be, any mother will tell you that the first time she holds her baby in her arms, it all becomes worth it. Gazing into the child’s face for the first time, the pain isn’t just forgotten, it is eclipsed. As wave after wave of intense love washes over the mother, it becomes difficult to notice anything else.

When Jesus faced the cross, He knew exactly what He was getting himself into. Anyone living in that society would. Yet He was able to endure it all in anticipation of the joy to come.

The call to follow Christ will not always be easy. There will be moments of temptation, rejection, and persecution.

No matter what struggles we may face as followers of Christ, we have a glorious future to look forward to. Revelation 21:4 tells us that one day “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

When we finally see our Savior face to face, and enter into His presence, nothing else will matter. We will be overwhelmed with wave after wave of perfect love.

Let the cross remind you of the glory that is to come, and the amazing gift of forgiveness that we have already been offered. Let an appreciation for God’s love and mercy eclipse every pain, every longing, and every disappointment the wilderness may have brought you. Let it fill you with inexpressible joy and embolden you to run your race with perseverance.

What has God’s forgiveness meant to you? How will you live differently because of it?

For more help listen to, “What Joy is Not…” on FamilyLifeToday.com.