Be Encourage

[shortlady]

Remember when Jesus told his disciples that they must be willing to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him? Remember when Paul told the Philippians that in order to share in the power of Christ's resurrection, they must first be willing to share in the fellowship of his sufferings? Remember when the writer of Hebrews asked the followers of Jesus to share in his shame? Well perhaps they were all thinking of Simon from Cyrene. You see, he was the guy who carried the cross of Christ, literally! The Roman soldiers forced him to help Jesus carry his cross to Golgotha. That is all we really know about this Simon, but his testimony still stands. Peter wrote, "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps." (1 Pet 2:21) Simon is a great example of this truth. We, like Simon, are called to share the burden of the cross of Christ. We are to embrace His shame and embrace the path of suffering, knowing that it will eventually lead to the power of his resurrection. Consider the words of Paul to the Corinthians. "For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day. And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble. For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) God be with you all...