What He Did for You

I saw a great post today. It read: “Stop making what people did to you bigger than what Jesus did for you.” It’s attributed to a woman named Christine Caine. I don’t know Ms. Caine and was not familiar with her before seeing this. Apparently she is church planter, an advocate for justice, an author, a preacher-teacher and powerful in her own right. This is such a profound quote that I want to give credit where credit is due times two, to her and to Jesus.

Isn’t it true that we often spend more time focused on the past and what “they” did to us that we often forget the bigger picture? What Christ did for us trumps everything that was done to us when you stop and really think about that cross at Calvary. Has someone lied about you? They lied about Him, too. Has someone stolen something that belonged to you? They stole from Him as well, so He can relate quite well. Did they besmirch your reputation and drag it through the mud? He knows just what that feels like; after all, He was with God at creation and left the throne of grace to become sin, yet had never sinned Himself. Given a choice of prisoners to set free, the governor and the people elected to release a thief and murdered and crucify Him, an innocent man instead. His only crime? Being the Son of God.

According to Isaiah 53:5, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our inequities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed. (NKJV) And yet…on the third day, He rose from the grave and conquered death, sin and the grave, just as He said He would. No other god or religious figure has EVER been able to do that. Not Buddha, not Allah, not Confucius, not Joseph Smith, not Jim Jones, not anyone else who sought to be worshiped. He did it because His Word is true as are every one of the promises He has made to those He calls His own.

Let those who have hurt you have their field day. You have a Savior who loved you enough to hang on a cross and die for you. He considered you worth His very life and He proved it and will return for you one day. Your enemies deserve your pity and your prayers. Your Savior considers you very precious indeed. Isn’t it about time you recognized your own worth?