2012 Canaan Awards Night

Friday, April 6, 2012

Good Friday





it's Good Friday. 
... but why is it good? well of course, growing up in the church, we know that answer is,
"Jesus!" 
... and yes, that is correct... but what about Jesus? and of course we answer, 
"it is good because He died for us on that day." 
... and again, that is correct... and why is that so important?
"because He died for our sins so that we may have eternal life!" 
... wow! such good students. you all get stickers. 
"yay!" 
but year after year we hear the same message... in fact, we probably hear that message of how much He loves us and died for us maybe every week. and we become numb to it. we forget how great that is. we forget the joy of salvation and how wonderful it really is. we often forget how much Jesus actually went through for us... like a new toy or that new trend that fades away in months, our thankfulness and true awe of what was done on this day so many years ago is forgotten...
we've all made mistakes. we've all failed. we've all done things we regret. i look back at my life and i wish i didn't do some things. i wish i didn't say certain things to people. i wish i didn't hurt people. hurt myself. hurt God... but i did. and i can't go back and change it... sometimes i wish i could go back in time. i wish i can go back and make better decisions. change those mistakes i made... but then again, i'm glad i can't go back. i'm glad that those mistakes are still burned within me...
why? why live with the guilt? why live with the painful memories? because they make grace that much greater. they remind me how much i do need God. they prove to me that i am nothing without Him... there is nothing that i can do to attain salvation. no work. no deed. nothing can completely make-up for my sins. i deserve death. i deserve to go to hell... but that is why the work that was done on the cross was so great. it is why that horrific tool used to kill someone, represents something so beautiful. the cross that Jesus died on, paid the price. only He, the one who didn't deserve to die, died so we may live... that's how great grace is. that is why the gift of salvation is so wonderful. because it is something we don't deserve, but it is something we all can have...
we also often forget that Christ was fully human as well as fully God. Jesus really went through emotional and physical pain. he cried out to God asking Him to remove the cup that He was to bear. He felt the pain of the lashes. he felt the pain of the mocking and seeing the people He loved, turn away from Him. He thirsted on the cross. He felt the nails being driven through his flesh. He breathed His last breath... yes, He was fully God and the resurrection proves that. but, He was fully human as well... and He went through all that for you... for me...
now, i don't sit around all day and mope and feel depressed and put myself down saying how great a sinner i am... and i don't try and go out and sin even more, so i can receive more grace... that's jus stupid. that's not the point of why Christ came to die for our sins. He didn't do that so we can sin more. He died, so that we can live more... we can live with hope. with joy. with peace. with confidence. knowing that He has completely forgiven us and that when He returns again, we will finally be made whole again... 
and yet, we live our lives for Him half-heartedly. we continue on our days living without passion for him. we immerse ourselves with the world and other things drive us. we forget the true awesomeness of salvation. we forget to live for Him in our thoughts and actions. and so i come before You Lord, and i humble myself once again...
thank You God. for sending Your Son to die on the cross for me. thank You for loving me and blessing me with so much more than i deserve. i know that i am weak and i often fail and disappoint You, but You always forgive me. You always pick me up when i fall and i know that although i am nothing, You can still use me. i pray that my life will be used by You and that i live in such a way that is pleasing to You. may You continue to guide me in all i do. i thank You and love You...
amen.

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