The Cross’s Power in Our Lives

The cares we bear and the pace at which we run can cause us to forget the cross’s power in our lives. This sad reality struck me as I packed a family member’s boxes for moving.

My three-year-old granddaughter wanted to help, so I invited her to seal boxes with me. I taped the containers lengthwise; she taped across the top widthwise. At one point, after smoothing the tape down, she said, “This is a cross. It’s like Jesus. He died on the cross.”

Sure enough, she was right. Two strips of tape formed a cross. She noticed it, but I did not. The busyness and concerns of the day had absorbed my attention.

The incident begged me to take note and ask the question, “How often am I oblivious to the cross and its power in my life?”

Seeing everything but Jesus

I fret over gas prices and gasp at my grocery bill. I stress over too much work and too little time. I worry about my kids and grandkids and how they’ll flourish in a world gone wild, how I’ll meet my next book deadline and what the future holds for the ministry my husband directs—who will his successor be, and how will higher airfare prices affect volunteers wanting to serve overseas?

I see only deadlines, worries, and chores waiting to be done while Jesus wants me to see His presence and involvement in the details. I fret and stew even while the cross stands ready to offer strength and hope and victory over all those things and much, much more.

Can you relate? Do you sometimes unconsciously try to do life on your own, forgetting about the cross’s power to help you rise above fear and uncertainty and despair? If so, you and I are not alone. I suspect that’s why hope is in short supply these days and why fear runs rampant.

The cross and its power

The cross’s wooden beams are where Jesus proved the depth of His love for me and you. It’s where He bridged the gap between us and our holy heavenly Father. It’s where He conquered our worst enemy once for all and made a way for us to rise above all that robs us of freedom and joy and peace.

The apostle Paul expressed the truth so eloquently when he wrote,

“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT)

The cross is far more than a piece of artwork at the front of a church sanctuary or a piece of jewelry to wear around our neck. It represents the power of Jesus over death and the power of God that works mightily within those who place their faith in His Son.

The cross represents God’s undefeatable power at work around us and in us. May we learn to live in its power rather than our own.