The cross is more than just jewelry!
As I stood in the checkout line, waiting my turn, I noticed something about the woman checking those in my line out…she had a very disgruntled disposition about her. The man ahead of me asked her “how she was?” – she began to reveal the reason behind her disgruntled look on her face. Complaining, about a lot of things, but mostly her work environment and her boss. She clearly did not want to be where she was.
But her attitude was not all that I noticed. What really stood out to me was the beautiful cross necklace she was wearing. It really caught my eye. There was something about it that caused me to be fixated upon it.
But as beautiful as her necklace was, her attitude just did not match. It made me realize the importance of what we wear.
One of my favorite pair of earrings is a pair of cross earrings. I also have several cross necklaces that I like to wear. Some are just plain silver ones, some are gold, and some have some pretty rhinestones. It seems that the meaning of the cross has lost its value, if this is not so, then we would not be so nonchalantly wearing them around our neck, without giving reverence where reverence is due.
The cross is far from some jeweled rhinestone of beauty. The cross is where anguish and humiliation took place as our Lord was severely beaten and bruised. I know, I do not take for granted the sacrifice that was made for me over two thousand years ago.
But for me, when I wear a cross, it is the beauty of His love, forgiveness and victory that I think about. When I wear a cross, I glory in the cross. For if it had not been for the cross, then there would have been no sacrifice…there would not be life for me. I thank God for all that He gave for me.
The words that Isaac Watts penned in that awesome hymn rings ever so true to me…
“At the cross, at the cross,
Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away –
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day.”
The cross He bore was in love for me; therefore, the cross I wear should be in honor of Him. So you see, what we wear is very important – if we wear the cross, may we bring honor to it by allowing everything that oozes out of us to bring glory to the cross and to Him!
“And God purposed that through Him [the Son] all things should be reconciled back to Him, whether on earth or in heaven, as through Him, [the Father] made peace by means of the blood of His cross.” Colossians 1:20.
Amen to that, Laurie. I wear the cross in honor of my Lord, and may my actions and words reflect His love.
Amen, amen.