Now, take a look at that cross, and look at those words. What does it say? "For you". It says "for you".

Jesus died, for you,
He edured the pain, for you
He was spat in the face, for you
He was pushed, mock, flogged, for you
He was whipped, slashed, for you,
He bore the bitter piercing crown of thorns, for you,
He did it,
He did it all,
all for you....

What do you have to say about that? Sometimes, we just forget what He did for us on the cross. Sometimes, we don't really appreciate what He did for us. Sometimes, we even end up doubting Him, His death, that cross.

We should all be ashamed, including myself, if we had that.

BUT, but but but...look at what Jesus did while He was hung on the cross, as his final breath were numbered...Jesus uttered these words while struggling to catch His breath..
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" Luke 23:34.

Do you think you will even utter those words when we are in Jesus' shoes? I don't think so. I think we will be wishing in our thought that all of those who had done this to me will pay pay pay!! But, hey, that's not what Jesus did. He prayed for them, begging His Father in Heaven to forgive them. Knowing full well our human nature, Jesus still chose forgave them.

Sacrificial love. Love sacrificially.

Jesus told us to love people just like He Himself loved us. "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" John 13:34. We learned that a couple of days ago ya? Now, sacrificial love. It costs you. Take for example, Jesus. For us, for our sake, for our salvation, He paid it with His life. Now, reiterating on what the bible say "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" John 13:34. We were commanded to do so!! but you might say "i'm just nothing, i'm too weak, too shy, too afraid".

Golden rule : "Do for others what you would like them to do for you(Matt 7:12).

So, how do you implement this Golden rule into your life?

1. You need to know that only Jesus can give the power to do what he taught us to do. The Golden rule that he introduced and taught us, he will definitely give us the power to do it. No such thing as He tells us to do something and don't give us the power to do so. It's like telling someone to help us drive our car to some place but you gave his a car with no petrol in it...how on earth will the car ever get to the destination? Jesus had given you the power, He already had. So, what are you waiting for?

2. We've got to make a decision and take the first step. Again, the car analogy. You can never reach a place or a destination, unless you move your legs and feet, and get yourself into that car and drive it. Wow, that's a lot of first steps. Hm..if you're not satisfied with that, take the escalators for example. If you don't take the first step, you will never reach the top!!

The Golden rule is something that we hear quite often but do we ever implement it into our own lives? Sometimes, we do bad to others, and expect them to do good unto us. It might be selfish ambition. We manipulated people for the sake of our own gain. We are humans, we are not perfect, that's why, it's mentioned so so so many times, that we must always depend on God's power. Sacrificial love. God showed us the ultimate example of it when He sent His son to die on the cross. God did it so that we will do it. I'm not saying that He expects us to hang ourselves on the cross, but to take home the message that love is sacrificial.

I know that today's devotion doesn't seem to be long, but , take a look again at the cross, think of what Jesus did for you, and think about His sacrificial love for you.

God bless

jim