A Stone Free Life.

John 19:39-40 (KJV)

39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

"Jesus had promised that the Cross on which he would be lifted up would be the power that would draw all sorts of people to him in faith. (John 12:32) For Nicodemus, the Cross was the deciding moment. On the human side of things, the Cross was the worst possible time for Nicodemus to identify with Jesus. After all, Jesus was a criminal in the eyes of Roman and Jewish authorities, a false messiah rejected by the Jews, and a dead body that could only make Nicodemus unclean. Yet Nicodemus stepped forward and helped do the loving work of burial preparation—something only a family member normally did. It was also political suicide. It rendered Nicodemus unclean for the Passover ritual that began that evening. It identified him as one of Jesus' disciples when he could possibly be put into prison, or worse. Yet the Cross has such power! Power enough to melt the heart and build the courage of one man who had everything to lose, yet he stepped out of the shadows to find his Light."~WJD Devotional

     As Christians it seems that more often than not we do not act the way Nicodemus did. By this I mean we will tell someone we love them and support them in private, but we will not make a public showing of this lest we become "unclean." Here we see Nicodemus getting to understand who Christ is. Talk about timing. It was the worst possible time for him to get it. This is not true. It was God's timing. It was the perfect time for Nicodemus. Even though Nicodemus had everything to lose in the public eye he did what his heart told him to do. If only I could be more like Nicodemus. By this I do not mean professing my love for Christ. I want to be the Nicodemus that shows love to others regardless of the place I am in or who I may be with.  I do not want to lie down at night and feel the weight of a heavy heart because I was ashamed to be seen with someone that the eyes of the world say is unworthy. I do not stand before the world to be judged. I stand before my Lord. I do not want to stand before Him and hang my head and say "Father, the world was watching. They would think I was like them. I just could not let the world think that of me."  Even if this person had done no wrong, only that the world had judged them as such. Even when I knew in my heart what the Christ like thing to do was...No I do not want to be that person. I want to be Nicodemus and at the worst possible moment become "unclean".

     I understand being shunned.  It happened  a few weeks ago by someone that I love very much. Was okay to talk in private at this time but not in public. I love you and support you in private. As good as that is it is tainted. It is about that person and how they are worried about what the world sees.  I got hurt. I got angry. This person should have not said those things to me. They should have had me in private and in public.  They never knew the hurt that they caused. I did not lash out at them and tell them how I felt about what they had said. I wanted to. I wanted them to feel bad and hurt like I was. The thing is I had to find forgiveness in my heart for them. I had to keep loving them.  I could not let their wrong become mine.  To love someone when they have hurt you is one of the hardest things to do. I made a choice to do as Christ would. I keep loving them.  I keep praying. I keep my Father close so that I can run to Him, ask Him to help them first and help me so that I can keep walking toward Him.

    A few weeks ago  I missed a God given opportunity. I heard God in my heart. I knew what He wanted me to do. It was a very small thing, just a few words to say to this person. But I did not want to engage in conversation with them. I did not feel comfortable talking to them in a semi-public place. It was all about ME and how I felt. I ignored the urging that God placed upon my heart. I was stuck on self and not on Christ.  

      This world is passing. This life here is only temporary, but it matters. How I live in it matters. I want to live so that when the "stones" are being thrown I can hold my head up and look toward my Savior and know that it is well with my soul.  God can smile and say "Yes! That one, that one is mine. Look at her the 'stones' came  and she kept her eyes on Me. "

      This life is not about me. It is about how I live for Christ. The only measuring stick I need is Christ, not what the world thinks. After all, the world hated Christ. I would rather live a life being shunned by the world than a life without Christ.

    I do not trust most people. I do not like most people. Above all, I do not understand people. I am thankful that I am not called to trust, like, or understand them.  All I am called to do is love them in every place at every time no matter what the world may think. I cannot change the world. I can only let the love of God change me.  Let the “stones” come  as they may. I will walk with love for all the stone throwers.  I will get hit. I will get hurt. I may even fall.  That is okay. I have the love of Christ for me and in me. There are worse place to be.  I could keep reaching for my own “stones.” I could be carrying a wagon load of them around with me. Not today. Today my burden is light.