Cross Vision

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Philippians 2:14-16

 

The Apostle Paul in the few words above describes what it is to live the cross life.

Jesus made Himself of no reputation, meaning no notoriety, no far reaching fame, no long-term credit for the things He did. He lived with a stain on Him. He was smeared and slandered as a disgrace and received reproach from His own people.

All this was acceptable for a greater cause. It was the cause of cross vision. Everything Jesus did took Him one step closer to His divine mission; wholehearted commitment to death on a cross.

No one could deter Jesus from His vision. Peter tried when he rebuked Jesus for stating plainly that He would be killed. Jesus in turn “rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”” Mark 8:33

Everything would come against Jesus, but He would hold fast, never wavering, in His commitment. In the end “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:8

Here we are in the middle of a “crooked and perverse generation” being called on to “shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life.” Paul’s exhortation is to hold on. It is to look at Jesus’ obedient example and make it our own, not letting the vision of the cross escape us because we were blinded by the cares and distractions of the world.

Let God continue to work what He wants and work out the things that hinder you from moving forward in His cross vision for your life.