Sorrows

Sorrows. It is something each one of us experiences throughout our lives, some people more than others. Even though we know sorrows are a part of our lives, the hurt and sadness can still pierce our hearts. The sadness we experience can engulf us and we can feel as though we are left in the pit of Sheol.

Surrounded by darkness and sadness we can look up and see no escape; however, Christ is standing before us offering a hand to pull us out of the darkness. Christ showed us how He handled His sorrows and all we have to do is turn to Him and unite our sorrows with His.

The Agony in the Garden

Before His crucifixion, Christ finds a quiet place and prays that the cup may pass but God’s will be done. In a moment of darkness, knowing His crucifixion was imminent, Christ finds comfort and strength through prayer. What struggles are we facing in our lives? What challenging moments lay ahead of us? In moments of uncertainty, doubt, anxiety, stress, sorrow, do we turn to God and pray, placing ourselves in His hands so that God may lift us up just as Christ did? We must remember to let God into the deepest parts of our lives. We must remember to pray that He will guide us through the sorrows of life, even when we cannot fully understand.

The Scourging at the Pillar

Jesus is arrested and is sentenced to be scourged. He is whipped by the Romans for crimes He did not commit. How often can it feel like life is unfair? It can feel as though life is beating us down and the sorrows we face are too much to handle. In those moments, we are called to remember the sacrifice Christ made, the punishment He suffered and endured for us. When life can feel too daunting, too much for us to handle, we can lift our sorrows to Christ knowing what He endured for us.

The Crowning of Thorns

After being beaten, a crown of thorns is placed on Jesus’ head, and He is mocked by the Roman guards. When was a time you were mocked or when you felt like an outcast? When we are feeling excluded do we invite Christ in so He can walk with us? Christ has suffered humiliation most of us have never experienced and in our difficult moments, we should invite Him to walk with us, to remind us we are not alone. We have a Savior who suffered for us and wants nothing more than to help us in our toughest moments of sorrows.

The Carrying of the Cross

What crosses are we carrying in our daily lives? Each one of us has a cross we are called to carry and sometimes that cross can weigh us down, the cross can make it feel as though we do not have the strength to continue on our journey. As Christ carries His cross a Cyrenian named Simon is told to help Jesus. Simon did so but not willingly. When our cross feels too heavy to carry, Chris is there to help us so we may continue to follow the journey of the narrow path. Unlike Simon (who was forced to help), Jesus is more than willing to lend a helping hand if we only ask.

The Crucifixion

I often think about what that moment must have been like for His followers. I think about all the hope the disciples had and how shattering it must have felt in that moment when Christ takes His final breath. The following day was the Sabbath, the day of rest, and for the disciples it must have felt as though the whole world rested, their hopes shattered. Yet we know that is not the end of the story. Christ’s death was not the end but the beginning of a beautiful gift He provided us. Victory over death and the opportunity to spend eternal life with Jesus in Heaven. In the midst of our sorrows, remember that the story is not finished yet. Christ overcame death on a cross and so to can we overcome the sorrows of our daily lives, we just need to let Christ into our lives.

Life has its sorrows, and those sorrows can feel as though they are dragging us down. They can feel too much for us to handle; however, we can pray to Christ, remembering all that He did for us and all that He endured. Christ is always close by to lift us out of our sorrows if we let Him.

Sincerely,

Your Brother in Christ