03/18/2024
Shoulder Your Cross
Yesterday I was sitting in church, ¾ listening to our Sunday school teacher and pastor deliver their messages and ¼ trying to get my wife to laugh out loud in church. I do this regularly because it brings me joy, her, not so much.
Our Sunday school teacher, Mike, was talking about the difference between being a Shepherd and being a hireling to watch the herd.
I was still thinking about this message this morning. The gist of it was, a shepherd, a true shepherd, will fight lions and bears to save his herd but someone who is only there for the money and themselves cannot be trusted to risk everything for the herd because they are in it for their own “selfish” reasons.
This got me thinking about Jesus and personal responsibility. For those of you who don’t know the story; Jesus knew He was to be crucified. Back then the Romans made those who were to be crucified carry their own cross (or the heaviest part of it) for a very long way. A walk of atonement more or less. With onlookers there watching the events unfold. Jesus did this willfully. Knowingly walking to His death while enemies and loved ones alike watched on.
This brings me to us. Personal responsibility is the way to a better world. Jesus did this for us. He took all of the hatred and suffering on Himself when He obviously didn’t have to.
There are people in this world starving from famine, dying in wars, struggling due to economic decline, where does it all go or end?
The answer to this is, “It depends.” It depends on each and every one of us individually. It depends on how much weight and responsibility WE choose to shoulder on our own personal cross and bear its weight. People nowadays, exactly as in biblical days, look to their politicians and leaders to give us the answer. What most don’t understand is it is US, the individuals, who can change these things by doing what is right for ourselves and the others around us. If WE carry our own crosses and bear the responsibility of others they cannot, and each and every person would try their best to do this, who knows how good we can make this world.
It’s going to suck. It’s not going to be fun or easy. However, if we truly want our families and loved ones to live in a better place on a global paradigm we have to hold people responsible on an individual level. No tribes of skin color or beliefs where we revert to tribal mentality that if our tribe doesn’t agree with your tribe your entire tribe is wrong without individual discernment we will never gain traction to make this world a better place.
Who would you hire to defend your family and trust they would do it as passionately and fiercely as yourself? That answer for me and I’m sure you is, no one. They are MY RESPONSIBILITY, I have taken that into my shoulders 💯. Now expand that to your community, your country and the world. Think about it.
So for the Lord, the world, your loved ones and yourself please, SHOULDER YOUR CROSS and meet the rest of us on the hill.
