THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart Willing To Suffer

The cross wasn’t forced upon Jesus; He willfully chose it. Why? Because His heart was filled with unconditional, perfect love. He saw your future flaws and freedom and said “They’re worth it.” His heart endured pain so yours could be made whole. Jesus doesn’t run from your suffering instead He stepped into His own so He could walk with you through yours. His love isn’t shallow, it’s sacrificial.

Jesus died so that we can live. How often do we truly sit with that? Jesus, God of All, King of kings and Lord of lords, our Messiah, our Creator. He left the luxuries of Heaven, stepped into humanity to be among His greatest treasure, and lived the perfect life we could not live just to die for us. He died for me. He died for you. How beautiful that is. But praise be to God He got out of that grave!

Jesus paid the ultimate price, knowing we might never choose Him. He gave us everything and so often, especially in American Christianity, we can become complacent in our faith if we are not careful. We have to be watchful of ourselves, because if not it becomes easy to adopt a mediocre, shallow faith where we live a mediocre, shallow life, really doing things on our terms and treat Jesus like a good luck charm when He is the Lord and Savior of our souls and calls us higher. This type of living has been so prevalent in our society for far too long.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without the suffrage of Jesus Christ...Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.”

We must have an active pursuit for the heart of Christ just as He has an active pursuit of us. Passivity is not a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Passivity is not a synonym that is interchangeable with the fruits. Passivity is not a Kingdom characteristic. Passivity is not like Christ. Be engaged, be active, empty out yourself at the foot of the cross every time.

FOUNDATION PROMPTS:

• What does it mean to you that Jesus willingly suffered for you?

• How do you currently respond when love requires sacrifice?

• Where in your faith journey are you living shallower than you’d like to admit?