Echoes from Golgotha

The road to Golgotha is long, and the weight of the mantle you carry is great. Make no mistake, the Christian life isn’t just difficult; it’s impossible in your own strength. Whether in marriage, ministry, or just the monotonous tasks of day-to-day life, you need a supernatural supply of joy to keep your fire alive. This joy serves as an evidence that you weren’t created for boredom, burnout, or bondage but for the incomparable pleasure that comes with knowing God. Jesus was clear that “in this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33 NIV), which is why on the way to Golgotha, it’s vital that you keep your sights set on the spoils of victory. That which is costly for you to attain will become a treasure worth defending. And when the joy of the Lord becomes your source of strength, troubles won’t stop you because there’s no stopping a man or woman who’s made it their goal in life to show that Christ is more precious than life itself.

The place of the skull was the goal of Jesus, and thus, it must be the goal of the Jesus follower. Like Simon, you are being thrust into the story—to embrace the mantle placed upon you and the fullness of joy set before you to fulfill the divine purpose deposited within you for God’s glory. In Matthew 16:24 (NLT), Jesus tells us that if we want to be His disciple, we must give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Him. In other words, if we’re only willing to do the things that give us life, then we’ll miss out on divinely disguised opportunities to lay our lives down. Just as the cross had to precede the resurrection, following Jesus demands our death before we can truly live.

In your life right now, you may find yourself wondering what beauty, joy, or celebration could be forged from the challenging situations you face. Maybe you’ve been sold out by someone you trusted, stood beside, and cheered on; betrayed by those you’ve shared a pew with and defended. The truth is it’s often less painful to be kicked by a stranger than to be kissed on the cheek by a betrayer. Jesus knows this fact all too well, and Hebrews 4:15 (NLT) assures us that He’s shared fully in all our experience of temptation. He’s shared entirely. In all our experience. Every hurt, every ache. See, in the midst of your pain, the deepest truth is that Jesus is with you. His strength at your side to weather these storms. His whisper in your ear, speaking in the most silent of hours. And His presence comforting you in your deepest pain.

In this hard season, God is wanting to take your shaking and forge something within you that’s unshakable. As you rely on Him and lean into surrender, you choose a process of trust that results in what we as lovers of God pursue: looking more like Jesus. There’s purpose to be found in your pain. Don’t let shame, pride, fear, regret, or apathy con you into silence. God’s not done with you yet! A mighty move of His Spirit and truth is at hand, and you are a part of seeing it come to fruition. There’s power contained in your story that the enemy doesn’t want you to release. In the midst of some of your greatest trials and frustrations, God is issuing you a holy invitation to yet again take up your cross and follow Him. Don’t grow weary of busting through dead places to bring life. Instead, respond in faith and allow the Lord to redeem your heartache and use it to produce someone else’s hope in Jesus, to heal their hurts in the same way He’s healed yours.

God certainly didn’t author the pain and hardship you’ve suffered at the hands of those who’ve abused, exploited, and abandoned you. However, God is birthing something new in you through those difficult seasons. Don’t give up on your healing journey! There’s a resilience that came out of that one season you thought you wouldn’t survive, but you did. There’s godly character that came out of that season when you had integrity when no one else was watching. There’s humility that came out of the season where nothing went the way you wanted, but you surrendered to God and trusted His wisdom and power over your own. Be encouraged that there’s an assignment that awaits on the other side of freedom! Everything the enemy wanted to use to harm you, God wants to redeem for your good and for His glory. He’ll take who you really are and your real story, even the messy parts where He needed to rescue you, and use it to show people how He can come into their real lives and rescue them too.