Why are we so full of pride?  Why do we care what others think?  Why do we need to be in control (an illusion at best)?   The answer to that is our sin nature.

♦It makes us think more of ourselves than we ought.

♦It makes us think we’re the center of the universe.

♦It causes us to justify our own faults (often while judging others’).

♦It makes life a lot harder than it has to be.

♦It causes us to have to learn our lessons the hard way, and often repeatedly.

♦It interrupts our ability to communicate honestly and effectively with others.

♦It drags us down to the depths, causing us to have to claw our way out (when we try to do it ourselves).

♦It brings so much hurt into the lives of others!

What’s the remedy?   That would be: drugs, food, sex, alcohol,…  JESUS!

We are to ‘take up our cross daily’.   The reason we do it daily is that we cannot do it for more than that; we would be overwhelmed.  Our sin nature and spiritual nature fight every day and leave us exhausted at the end of the day.

♦We rest if we can.

♦We surrender ourselves anew to Him;

♦We meet God in a new morning for a time of refreshing.

♦We put on our armor.

♦We pick up our cross.

BUT — we do not carry our cross alone!  We do nothing alone when we have a relationship with Jesus Christ.  He takes the greater burden, but He does it silently.  We often whine and cry that it’s too heavy, when we only feel a portion of the load.  Ahhhhhhhh!  Thank you God that your mercies are new every morning.  Each day, we pick up that cross and walk together through the day.  Each night, we rest while you watch.  How awesome is that!

The above rumination, came out of the fun I’ve had this week with my dad, the funeral, etc.  If you want to read the story, it is at my writing blog.  It is called WARNING:  TMI!  And yes, it is! 🙂

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