Choosing Our Cross

By Orva Hochstetler

May 1, 2013

Sometimes I stop and wonder why God in his merciful love
Sent His only son, Jesus, down from the beautiful heaven above.
Was it because our gracious God could see beyond that huge loss,
And this was the only way to teach us to accept our own cross?

God, in His great wisdom, must have known right from the start
There was only one way to get this message planted in our hearts.
He could have explained to us in the Bible with words ever so clear,
But without the example of Jesus, we would not be able to hear.

Not only did Jesus say, "Take up the cross and follow me,"
But he lived out His own words for the whole wide world to see.
if we truly accept this cross, then our flesh must be crucified
In the same way Jesus was when He hung on the cross and died.

Jesus also said if we want to save our life we must first lose it.
God does not force a cross on us; we will have to choose it
By avoiding all earthly pleasures that are so fleeting and in vain,
While knowing if we bear our cross it will bring us eternal gain.

If we choose the cross, we will not be living on life's easy street,
But it's the only avenue that leads to victory instead of defeat.
Straight is the way and narrow the gate that leads to eternal life
Means turning the other cheek and never causing strife.

If we carry our cross, we will love and pray for all our enemies,
And we will not talk about others unless we are down on our knees.
The cross will keep us from striving for worldly riches and human fame,
And our only goal in life will be to bring honor and glory to God's name.

If we choose to carry our cross, Heaven will become our destiny,
But if we travel down our own path we will have to spend eternity
With the wicked devil and his demons in a lake of everlasting fires,
All because we refused the cross and followed our selfish desires.

So let us choose our cross in this short life we were created to live,
And become a person who always wants to love and to give
All your heart, soul, and mind to our wonderful God who cannot sin.
We have nothing to lose, and the cross is the only way to win.

Jesus' death on the cross was not the end of God's only son;
It was more like a new beginning of better things to come.
After three days and three nights He arose to live forever more,
And was taken back up through the clouds to Heaven's bright shore.

Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of God's holy throne,
Waiting till God tells Him to go bring His children on home;
So all we have to do to be with our God through all eternity
Is obey the words of Jesus, "Take up the cross and follow me."

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