He Carried Our Sorrow

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I have a level of respect for my parents that I cannot even describe.  They have spent their time here on Earth living for God.  And living for their children and grandchildren.  They have demonstrated true Christian faith. Over the past year it has been my honor to help them ‘attend’ church.  I print the bulletin (attempting to make it big enough for Dad to read) and I set up a hotspot from my phone (they do not believe in the internet) and we play the St Paul church service on their television screen.  I am blessed with this opportunity to witness their faith and their love for God.  They place God first in their life and it is evident by their actions.

My parents give Christ the respect He deserves. They hold Him in highest reverence. I find myself asking if I give Him the reverence He deserves. Today is Ash Wednesday. It is the start of Lent.  Some years I have ‘given up’ something I enjoy as a way of ‘experiencing’ a very small bit of suffering out of respect for the suffering of our Lord.  Yet it seems so small, so infantile compared to His suffering.

Jesus deserves so much more.  Jesus deserves everything I can give.  He deserves more than I can possibly give. He earned it.  He suffered in my place and no amount of sacrifice or suffering on this earth can ever compare to His gift to us, the gift of eternal life.

I will still ‘give up’ something for Lent more as a reminder each day of this Lenten season that He is my Lord and deserves honor, reverence and submission.  “Live faithfully with fear and trembling, with a reverent and submissive spirit.” Philippians 2:12.  In addition to giving something up I will ‘take something up’.  I want to share His word with those around me.  I want others to understand that Jesus suffered, not only on the cross but during His ministry, during Holy Week, during His trial and then during His crucifixion.  He CHOSE to suffer.  He chose to suffer FOR US.   He chose to suffer for us “while we were yet sinners.” Romans 5:8