La Vida Cruciform

What if I really began to live my life everyday shaped by the cross of Jesus?

Would behaviors change?

What would I add to my life, and what would I take away?

Jesus spent every day of His 30plus years focused on one goal. That is, He was moving towards the cross. He knew it. He knew why.

When he ate with the tax collector - He did it shaped by the cross.

When he got down on the same level as the woman caught in adultery - He was shaped by the cross.

When he called the disciples - having pre-knowledge about them - He was shaped by the cross!

When He was teaching and loving those 12 men in John 17 - He was shaped by the cross.

When Jesus came along side those 2 disciples on the way to Emmaus in Luke 24 - He was shaped by the cross.

To determine what it means to be cruciform today think about what Jesus did in any given situation and then think about what you would do or how you would handle it. That will show you the difference.

When you can genuinely do things the same way as Jesus, and have motives that are not linked to what others may think about you - that is cruciform. When you stop asking Why or saying: "Not now Lord!" then you're beginning to life life cruciform...

** (thurs am:) As I reread this post I realized that last 2 paragraphs sounded a lot like "What Would Jesus Do" and with full apologies to Charles Shedd, that's not exactly what I meant. I think what I meant was - it's like an apprentice in the presence of the master craftsmen. It's not just changing behavior. It's allowing the craftsmen to guide and direct the apprentice to learn the skill with his guiding hands and words. It's not just doing religion "martyform" but it is thinking abt ALL I do cruciform - shaped by the Cross.