Two Mistakes, One Answer

When we hear hard sayings of Jesus, we might easily conclude that the dominant characteristics of a disciple's life are sacrifice and self-denial.  After all, His words are strong.  Hate your life?  Take up your cross? Deny yourself?

But this summary would not be consistent with the fact that a life of unconditional surrender to Jesus is the happiest possible one in existence.

When we hear the lavish promises of Jesus, we might easily conclude that the means of experiencing them are the ones that naturally spring to our mind.  With such words, how could He mean less than for our dreams of happiness to come true?  That girl, that house, that job... His promises are extreme: Abundant life.  Fullness of joy. One hundred times as much as we leave lose or leave for Him. 

But the path to our highest happiness in this life and eternity is not the one that naturally comes to mind.  A road without sacrifice or suffering is a far cry from the one that Jesus charted for us.

Our natural vision toward happiness may need to give way to something else--something better--His vision.  It is the very path of self-denial, daily cross-bearing, and losing our life that is the road of greatest reward.  The sacrifice of absolute surrender to Christ's call is actually your consent to His invitation to your greatest joy.  Because you get Him.  Submission to His will is the context for experiencing Christ's presence to the fullest, of soul-satisfying intimacy with Him, of walking with Him in the adventure of whatever part He has called you to play in His cosmic story, along with fellow followers.  Clinging to your life is loss.  Losing your life is gain.  Self-denial in obedience to Jesus is an exchange for incomparable joy.

The answer to the paradox of sacrifice and extravagant promise is a Person.  Jesus' promise is that we will come to find Him one hundred times more satisfying than anything we must leave or lose for Him (Mark 10:29-30).  But I think He may be being rather modest.

"More than that I count all things to be loss compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ..." Philippians 3:8

Story in Poem

It's not too often that I feel inspired to write a substantial poem, but one day in December 2012, I did.  This poem is very personal for me, because it parallels my life experience in very significant ways.  But more broadly, the female character in this poem reflects to a large extent the story of every person who has come to discover the ultimate hope in life.  I hope you can identify with it.

To Have You Back Again

He came upon the storm-scarred girl
Wrapped up in rags, stooped sad and still,
Callous to the storm around
Sick, she stayed upon the ground
And did not even seem to care
To catch his sympathetic stare

"What ails you, dear,
Why sitting here?
Come shelter from this nearby sea
For I would see you healed, and free."

"I'm sorry sir
Your quest is vain
For I have nothing left but shame
And sorrow, sickness and regret
A few tears left
An endless debt

No path to joy is left for me
I've given up that hopeless plea
Walked the road I thought went there
But failed, spent, now I'm stuck here."

"The web you're in is strong and deep
But sin and shame cannot me keep
From asking you to walk again
To join me in my journey home
To come and run with me once more...
For all you’ve lost I would restore."

"I think I'm past that sir, you see,
My heart is maimed,
I'm drowned in pain
Words cannot heal my guilty stain.

I chose the path where I now lie
I journeyed here and now will die
I can't suppose the curse will fly
That I invited; why do you try?"

 

The young man's face
then seemed to cloud,
A pain he could not speak aloud
Crossed over his brow and into his eyes...
But would not deter him from his prize.

"The cost will be high
But I will pay,
your groans to end,
Your pain to stay…
I will walk the only way
That leads your heart
To endless Day.

I will walk
the blackest mile
For so I prize
Your loving smile

I will swallow up the curse
By letting it drown me.

I will take on
All you have
To give you
All that's mine."

The girl's heart found no pow'r to decline
The stranger's strong sweet offer then
"Come run with me," the young man said,
For I would have you back again."

She gave him all she had long known
He took it on himself to own--
Her sickness, sorrow, death and curse,
To gain something he wanted worse
Than all it cost to win:

To see her laugh and smile again
Because she now had
                                               Him.