Journey to the Cross

Pause

It's a long, hard road that leads to becoming our true selves. There are so many things to distract us along the way, things that draw us towards self-absorption and destructive behavior.

The next few moments of reflection offer the opportunity to focus again, to see more clearly who God is and who we truly are meant to be.

Listen

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Matthew 4:11

Think

Every day we’re told to get more, to buy more, and to be more. We’re haunted by temptations of materialism, security, and prestige because they feed our insecurities and they trick us into believing that we’re powerless, incomplete, or somehow not enough. But Jesus shows us that while the tempter’s power is real, it is also limited.

It is Jesus who has the last word in his struggle with temptation and thankfully, it is Jesus who has the last word in our stories as well. His experience in the wilderness shows us that no matter how strong and suffocating the tempter’s grip may be, God is with us every step of the way, assuring us that we are indeed “enough,” and empowering us to confront temptation head-on.

Grier Booker Richards

Pray

Thank you, God, for sharing my load—my insecurities, my fears, my struggles and my pain—because it’s too much for me to carry by myself. Thank you for always being there and for giving me ways to make it through the hard times.

Go

Go now with faith into your struggle.

Avoid distractions of the spectacular;
See beyond the illusions,
And recognize you have what you need
To move beyond guilt to freedom.

You have been claimed by grace
And are called to celebrate the life of joy.