An infinitely much wiser man than myself many years ago penned these words.
“The Lord does not bid us to stoop down and pick up a crown for our heads, but a cross for our backs.”
That burden of sin that weighed so heavily upon your soul was removed by Him at the cross, you did not set it down, we could not, and never would have been able to do ourselves.
All who have not been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will die with that burden on their back, their guilty conscience will follow them to hell.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
But there is one thing that He will not do for us, He will not place that cross upon our back.
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24)
He will help you in times of distress, in times of turmoil, pain and suffering, if you are willing, the Holy Spirit will even speak through you to those you meet, uttering words of wisdom that you will have difficulty believing came from your mouth.
But He will not place that cross on your back.
Exchanging one burden for another, removing all guilt from your mind, giving you a clear conscience because there is no doubt within you that you have been forgiven, justified through faith in His shed blood.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matt. 11:29)
But that cross is also a burden, it is not meant to be lite and easy to bear, in its own manner and form it brings pain, the pain of the loss of all we once held dear, of the loss of the desires of this world we once strove diligently for. It digs into our back when lust arrives, when pride attempt to draw us into its traps, even when envy and jealousy rear their ugly heads when we see those whom the Almighty has chosen for Himself being used in a greater manner than we ourselves are.
Many times in this life my friends we fall under the weight of that cross we bear, it is a heavy burden, living a life devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ to the glory of God. Most will leave your side, the world will hate you, and many times you may even desire to lay it aside.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13)
Carry it when you can, drag it behind you when you cannot, find rest under its weight when the burden becomes too much to bear, and then get back up and keep moving on the path to that strait gate, where it will be removed forever.
We must pick it up, we are expected to carry it, to continue moving under its weight.
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2nd Cor. 13:5)
Are you able to bear this weight? Can you go through this life with that burden on your back, despising the world, losing family and friends, leaving desires of the flesh behind, seeking nothing above the will of God for you in this life? Can you understand the following verse a little better now?
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2)
It is easier to tell the chaff from the wheat when you are carrying your cross, they speak much of this world and little about Christ, they are the continuously happy smiling “Christians” who profess Him only with their lips.
His yoke is light, that cross is not, and it takes every effort of one who has truly been born-again to wake up every morning, place it on their back, and carry it all day, every day.
The cross brings joy, happiness in the Lord. The cross brings suffering, the pain of loss.
Knowing all this, will you carry yours until your last breath?
