Whispered to the church

“The universe is Abundant. You are Enough. Your opportunities are Limitless.” These words are thrown around a lot in the world right now. Unless you’re talking to follower of Christ about what they “should” do. We seem to prefer to build a lot of boxes for Christians. Surprisingly most for other followers in Christ. While the world shouts, “You can be and do anything, go anywhere!” The church likes to whisper to one another “But not that. Not you.”

“Be like Jesus. He didn’t become a king. He died on the cross. That’s what our lives hours look like. Humble sacrifice.”

Yes, your life should be marked by his His love and sacrifice, by the character of Jesus. But Jesus is not a two-dimensional character that can be nailed to any cross, last or present. He gave His life and He rose again. This is the entire crux of our faith. If he stayed on the cross, it would be a dead religion. His kingdom wouldn’t have come.

Yes, our redemption was found on the cross. But that’s not where it ended. To point to Jesus on the cross and say “do only THAT”, frankly, is wrong. He already did it. That cross is taken, its work completed. Our redemption was signed, sealed, and delivered. Mostly, because He didn’t stay there.

Though there are many that would like to keep Him (and you) there.

If we attempt to keep one another nailed to the cross of Christ, so will ours be a dead religion. He cannot be nailed to our understanding. He is a very real, very alive and extremely loving King. A risen Lord full of power and love and redeeming compassion.
The crux of the Easter story is not that he stayed there, but that He conquered death, hell and the grave. He rose again. And He is still bringing out His work in earth. Believe me that image of him on the cross is where I fell in love with the Lord and that is sacred and holy. It is life-giving. But we must not let our theology keep him there for us.

Christ himself said “It is finished”. Finished. He didn’t tell us to pick up His cross and keep going.

What he told us was instead, this: “Take up your cross and follow me. “

Jesus didn’t tell us to take up His cross and die on the same hill he did. Or to die on any old hill, one we might pick. He told us to take up OUR cross and FOLLOW him.

What cross, then? Whichever one he tells you. On any single day, and best case scenario, every day. Remember, obedience is better than sacrifice. If we are ever to die on a hill, it should be one of His choosing, not ours. And most certainly NOT our neighbors.

If I choose the cross, form it based on what I see, form it to shape my own understanding, to look like anyone else’s- Jesus’, or Peter’s or John’s, or Mary’s, I am practicing sacrifice but perhaps not obedience. Maybe even idolatry if I am choosing for myself. Or anyone else. If I crucifying another person by and to my own understanding of the gospel, I am doing the same.

I am not in charge of my neighbor. Following Christ is the ultimate freedom, and we’ve been putting one another in the chains of our own understanding for a thousand years, twice over. Free in Christ means more than we are willing to admit, and more than we are often ever comfortable with. For ourselves and for others.

Taking up the cross might look for one like entering a political arena. Or staying out. It might mean going to work, or staying home. Stage or pulpit, classroom or coffee shop. YOU don’t get to say. That’s the entire point. You certainly don’t get to decide for anyone else.

I hear a lot theories around what Christians should and shouldn’t do right now. What’s in the Bible, what literally “fits” or doesn’t fit inside of it and the theology that surrounds it.

“Jesus wasn’t a king.” “Be happy with what you have.” “Sit down and be quiet”. “You can’t do that.” “You don’t belong”. “Settle for less.”

These can be the whispers of deception. Just as Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. There’s maybe a portion of truth. But not the whole truth. Not the truth that God is already speaking. To you.

Doubt comes rushing in. Taking the truth and twisting it ever so slightly. Just like the whispers in the garden. “Has God said?” We echo it for one another in the church more often that we must or ever should. It must make God so sad.

And it’s everywhere we turn right now. Even in the church.

We can identify it for someone else sometimes but maybe when it’s spoken for us though.

Stop listening to other voices. Stop listening for other people. Start listening for yourself. What is God saying to you, today? Where is he telling you to go? What cross is he asking you to take up? Do not think it has to look like anyone else’s. Not even the one Jesus carried. He did it for you, so you could walk in the fullness of whatever it is that HE has planned. Already. Before anyone else was alive and had the words to speak about it.

Get back to THAT cross. It will mean dying to something. Usually your selfishness. And that pride that would try to talk you out of it. The need for others to justify it, whatever it is.

Jesus was crucified in part because he had become too powerful. He didn’t come to be a King the way anyone else ever intended. But He came to be the King of your heart if you let Him.

Don’t sit down. Don’t shut up. He’s waiting for you not to ever even care what someone else should think. Trust Him more than anyone else’s opinion. Because HE is trustworthy. He is kind and gracious and he never is concerned with what anyone else’s plans are for your life or whether they’ll make any sense to anyone else.

Perhaps if we stop crucifying each other so much and we get something wrong or make a mistake, we will all be able to fly a lot more, even when we fail. We might stop snipping one another’s wings and really soar into our destiny. What would that look like?
Freedom. Which is, after all, the work of Christ on that amazing cross.