The inspired Apostle Paul declared: “Shall trouble or hardship (separate us from the love of Christ?) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. “ (Romans 8:35, 37)
One afternoon a car pulled into our driveway. A frail little old woman got out and came to our door. She introduced herself and wanted me to meet her husband. Together we walked toward the car. She explained that her husband had been severely crippled by a disease for the past four years. I reached for his hand. With his eyes, he nodded, hello!
As time passed, I asked this woman, “How are you able to take care of your husband?” I meant not so much the physical strength needed, but the patience and the character needed to cope with such a trial.
Without hesitation, she replied, “Pastor, when you plug into the Almighty, He gives you the strength for the day!”
Here undoubtedly was a Christian woman who not only knew the message of the cross, but the power of the cross as well. The power not to do things that are physically impossible, but the power to endure patiently the afflictions of this life. St. Paul was aware of that power in writing: “May I never boast, except in the cross of Christ” (Galatians 6:14).
The cross is also our power source. Outwardly we may be wasting away—perhaps being drained by some physical, financial, emotional, mental, or spiritual problem. By his own strength the Apostle Paul could not have dealt with his trials, troubles, hardships, distresses, imprisonments, beatings, jobrelated pressures, sleepless nights, hunger, and danger. But thanks to the power of Christ’s cross and Him crucified and risen for our sake, he could confidently say, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4: 16)
Yes, thanks to the cross of Jesus Christ, as He bore it and death too, we “are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” And that’s the kind of power that keeps us going and makes us strong in spite of trouble and hardship.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This month’s contributor is The Rev. Dean Rudloff, pastor of Life In Christ Lutheran Church affiliated with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
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