The Cross Was Enough

Stephen Fryrear has a song titled “My God Loves Me”.
(Give this song a listen while you read Stephen Fryrear “My God Loves Me)

The lyrics of the verses and chorus depict exactly what my heart has been singing these last few weeks.  In the midst of my many blessings, I have felt the constant pull and tug of “old habits dying hard”.

I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced anything like this.  But I have, and I have this uncontrollable desire to get this off of my chest.

I’ve been liberated

I have been set free

Sin has no power over me

He has been my rescue

In times I couldn’t see

But my God has been watching over me

I am a child of the Most High God. The Creator of ALL things, the maker of my heart.  As his daughter, he listens to me, he hears my cries even if I can’t put my emotion into words.  He works ALL things together for my good, even when my circumstances don’t seem that way.  He is sovereign.  His plans for me are far greater than my plans for me.

Too often we get caught up in the entanglement of the web woven by sin.  We take our focus off of the greater picture and instead, focus in anger or guilt or distress over what has transpired because of what we’ve done, or allowed to happen.

At least, that’s what I find myself doing.

We may even allow the guilt to trickle into our self-esteem and we start to base our worth on works. In our minds, we have to fix the mess we’ve made.  Who we are begins to be totally defined by what we’ve done.

And that my friends, is where I’ve been.

On more than one occasion these last few weeks I have desperately wanted to go back in time and and change the mess-ups and mistakes that I have made.  No matter how big or small.  I have allowed my thoughts to be filled with the need to set wrong things right.  Which isn’t a bad thing…

Or is it?

In wanting that, I have come to realize that I am telling Jesus, now, that the cross wasn’t enough.  That the blood that was shed for my sins in the past, present & future, didn’t cleanse me, and that his grace doesn’t matter… and that, my friends, is a lie from the pit of hell.

The cross was enough.

As a Christian, I am forgiven.  I am no longer defined by who I was or what I did. I am made new daily because forgiveness is needed from my mess ups daily.  I am not perfect, and I don’t have to be.  That’s not why I was created.  What makes Christian’s different from the rest of the world isn’t the fact that we “have it all together” or live happy, perfect lives.  What makes us different is the fact that we take our imperfections to Christ, lay them at his feet and say, “I cannot do this alone, I need your help.”

I find that God is such an amazing daddy and some of my earthly daddy’s favorite moments are when I ask him for his help with something, because I’m not able to do it myself.

Daddy’s love to save the day.

So, dear friend, I encourage you, right now, to close your eyes.  No matter where you are stop what you’re doing and whisper “I need you, Jesus.”

I don’t know your circumstances, but I do know Christ.  Let him in.  Do not let your mistakes make or break you, instead, lay them at the feet of Christ and let your daddy do the rest.  Do not feel burdened if you feel the need to whisper these words daily, or even multiple times a day.  It brings Jesus so much joy to hear that you want him and need him.

Let the cross be enough.