For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
Don’t tell me the Cross doesn’t have the power to change a person…
A peaceful reverence washes over the congregation as the worship leader strums a familiar tune on his guitar. Voices join in unison, singing,
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suffering and shame…
To my left, I hear the gentle weeping of a woman in our church who has become one of my dearest friends. The hymn crescendos into the chorus. Her hands raise toward heaven as thankful tears flow down her cheeks. I can’t help but be captivated by this sweet woman’s reaction to the mention of this ancient piece of lumber. You see, that “emblem of suffering and shame” reminds her of her own suffering and shame and the price that was paid to save her.
From the time she was a very small girl until her teenage years, she was physically and sexually abused by her brother and brother-in-law. The shame she carried within her heart and upon her body was no fault of her own, yet she bore the heaviness of it nonetheless. Like a life sentence. Like a cross.
Still, the inherent need for love, acceptance and peace drove her in a search for fulfillment. She longed to quiet the traumatic memories that played like a horror movie over and over in her mind. The thought of pursuing companionship in a man only resurrected those memories she had tried so hard to bury, making her stomach ache and her skin crawl. She found temporary solace in the gentle touch of other women and the mind-numbing grip of methamphetamine. She despised the weakness and vulnerability that femininity had meant for her and gradually took on a masculine appearance and demeanor. Still, nothing truly satiated her hunger for wholeness and peace. Not even when the palm reader predicted that she would have “many women” for herself.
Then she met a man and a cross and everything changed. He, too, had carried an overwhelming weight of suffering and shame that was not his own. Though he was slain upon that thorny weight he carried, what flowed from the wounds in his hands, feet and side was innocent blood. The pain inflicted upon her as a child was not of her own doing, but she knew the years of decisions that followed made her 100% guilty before this holy man. Still, he told her he loved her, he wanted her, and he had chosen her. For the first time in her life she felt the pure touch of a man whose love was without selfish motives or evil intentions. His name was Jesus, and she fell madly in love with him, committing herself to follow Him with all of her heart.
In the process, she started to become the woman she was created to be. Her need to numb herself with drugs went away, and she didn’t even need the psychiatric medications prescribed to her by doctors anymore. Her appearance and demeanor softened as she embraced her God-given femininity. The inner drive for the arms of many women changed into a desire for holiness according to God’s word. Her life is now a shining example of humble service to her Lord and Savior, especially for the many women who follow her to the foot of the cross.
So, don’t tell me that the cross doesn’t have the power to change a person. I’ve experienced its transforming power in my own life, as well. That is why forever I will sing….
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross
‘Til my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it someday for a crown
–George Bennard, copyright public domain
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