No Walk in the Park

Dry, brown leaves shiver in the chill fall breeze outside the window. 

It’s been heavy on my heart these days how being a Christ-follower in this fallen world means being the spent-and-spending ones. The ones who give of energy and strength and zeal to see Christ’s name lifted high, the fall reversed, the kingdom come on earth. 

It shouldn’t be any surprise really. We were promised hardship—promised that joining this kingdom of the already and the not yet would mean loss on earth for eternal gain (Jn. 16:33). Yet there’s still a sinking in of this truth that happens every day of our lives as we fill out and embody this principle in flesh and blood and hours and tears. 

What does it really mean to take up our crosses and follow Christ? 

It means staying awake to the difference between Christ and this world. The two are miles apart, yet somehow they tend to comfortably settle in together as bedfellows in 21^st century America. Are we living in a way that makes us aware of the keen divide between what Christ proclaims and all that this world lifts high?

It means that our spending of time, dollars, and affection will look different than that of popular people on Instagram and will stretch us uncomfortably as we see the distance between what we are called to and what we practice in these specific areas. We’ll compare ourselves to Christ and to men and women of the past and present who accomplish great things for the cause of the gospel and take our benchmark for practiced holiness from them instead of from our non-Christian neighbors or co-workers or classmates (or people we’ve never met but follow on Twitter). 

It means being the one who apologizes first, repents most deeply, and genuinely seeks for restoration with brothers and sisters as much as it lies in our power. As a dear friend commented recently in a conversation “We have enough enemies around us—we can’t afford to fight each other”. Christ himself said that the beauty of His body on earth would be most evident through her unity (Jn. 13:35). As fallen creatures, we are very good at masking bitterness or pride as a passion for the truth and unskilled at putting ourselves on the line and making peace that costs us something.

It means watching the slide of our country and culture into madness and insanity (how many marijuana shops can you fit on one corner in Washington State??) and looking not to the gathering thunderclouds, but to the One who has promised to build His kingdom on earth. We can go through our days depressed and sure that nothing good can ever happen, or we can recognize that God’s kingdom is not in trouble, and neither are we.

It means recognizing the discrimination which we face and will increasingly face in this country and choosing to encourage one another in good works and the pursuit of a deeper understanding of our great hope in the gospel. We rightly hate and fight against injustice but just as Christ set aside his genuine rights when the Father’s will required, we must do the same (Jn. 15:18). If we value our identity in Christ over our identity as Americans, we will be called to give up both respect and rights which we believe should be ours. And we will be called to do it with joy that we are counted worthy to endure loss for the sake of Christ (Act 5:17-42).

Taking up our crosses never promised to be a walk in the park. It may be that the church in this country will renew atrophied muscles of faith and courage through lifting high the name of our Redeemer amid opposition and ridicule. 

God never guaranteed our happiness, but He did guarantee that He would sanctify all who are His and preserve them until they stand face to face with the One who redeemed them. 

May we live in that hope this day and all our days.