That line is in one of my favorite sarcastic movies, "Ten Things I Hate About You". It is a "modern day version of Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare". Often I am OVER-whelmed. So much to do, so little time, and depending on the day, so little energy!
However, OVER implies too much and yet according to the Bible, as a Christ Follower, I am MORE than a conqueror (Romans 8:37). What is MORE than a conqueror? That sure sounds like a lot!
So, since I am already MORE than a conqueror, then I must be able to handle being OVER-whelmed. Maybe that is the weapon the enemy of my soul (satan)uses the most in my life. It only takes 5 minutes to unload the dishwasher. How in the world could that be OVER whelming?
UNDER-whelmed only happens occasionally - when I stay up late to watch a favorite show and it ends dumb or I try a new hairstyle that looks ridiculous, or when I don't do what I love by cooking ahead for my family and have to cook out of a box, now THAT is UNDER-whelming!
So maybe, like with the task of unloading the dishwasher, if I just DID what I need to do instead of contemplating for an hour how OVER-whelmed I am, maybe, just maybe I might find out what it is like to just be "whelmed"! :)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
How do you see the Cross? Part 1
A few years ago my pastor preached a series on this subject. Easter Sunday morning the concept came flooding back as I was contemplating the Cross.
I think there are three places we can be in relation to the Cross.
First, we can see it from a distance… twenty or so yards off… highlighted against a brilliant sunset or a dark cloudy day - that shape can’t help but draw our attention. We acknowledge that it exists, we know what happened on it and we might even know it is empty but we just can’t seem to approach it. Whether our feelings of inadequacy, the shame of sin - current or distant past, or just our fear of what it would mean to acknowledge our need for more than ourselves - we just can’t seem to get there.
But there is a way….
Second, we stand or kneel or even lie face down at the foot of the Cross. We are overwhelmed by our sin, inadequacies, continual failures that just reflect how damaged we are. We are devastated by how undeserving we are of Christ’s death to save us. We believe that only humble repentance at the foot of the Cross can really save us from our despair and the damage that has been done to us or that we have done to others. We can’t seem to leave the foot of the Cross.
But there is a way…
Third, we can walk beyond the Cross to the other side. Leaping forth into what the empty Cross represents. Putting to death the old and embracing the new. Reaching for the abundant life promised to us by the only One who could love us enough to die on that Cross. On the other side of the Cross we are bound for our destiny on this earth while grasping the truth that we are seated with Him in heavenly places.
This is the way!
I think there are three places we can be in relation to the Cross.
First, we can see it from a distance… twenty or so yards off… highlighted against a brilliant sunset or a dark cloudy day - that shape can’t help but draw our attention. We acknowledge that it exists, we know what happened on it and we might even know it is empty but we just can’t seem to approach it. Whether our feelings of inadequacy, the shame of sin - current or distant past, or just our fear of what it would mean to acknowledge our need for more than ourselves - we just can’t seem to get there.
But there is a way….
Second, we stand or kneel or even lie face down at the foot of the Cross. We are overwhelmed by our sin, inadequacies, continual failures that just reflect how damaged we are. We are devastated by how undeserving we are of Christ’s death to save us. We believe that only humble repentance at the foot of the Cross can really save us from our despair and the damage that has been done to us or that we have done to others. We can’t seem to leave the foot of the Cross.
But there is a way…
Third, we can walk beyond the Cross to the other side. Leaping forth into what the empty Cross represents. Putting to death the old and embracing the new. Reaching for the abundant life promised to us by the only One who could love us enough to die on that Cross. On the other side of the Cross we are bound for our destiny on this earth while grasping the truth that we are seated with Him in heavenly places.
This is the way!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Who am I?
- Jennifer - Live Courageous!
- I have been married to my best friend for over 29 years and our children are 16, 15 and 12 years old. I have struggled with infertility, suffered the loss of a baby by miscarriage, and endured multiple career paths. I have experienced a crisis of faith that shook me to the core and lost dear friends to tragic death. I have a personal relationship with Jesus which is essential to surviving and even thriving in my circumstances. I hope you will be blessed by my heart and words. Thank you for being here..