Easter Sunday..

Being Easter Sunday, the pastor at a new church we have been attending extracted a huge lesson from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Bear with me, don’t run because I mentioned church and Jesus, you might just find as much value in this as I did…

For those unfamiliar, Jesus was crucified on a wooden cross for the sin of all mankind on Friday (Good Friday) and buried in a tomb. He then rose from the dead on the third day, Easter Sunday. Jesus’ disciples, his most loyal followers, didn’t believe him, they didn’t believe what they were seeing… until Jesus showed them his scars.

The parallel was drawn between the fact that coming back from the grave is mind-blowing, not logical, impossible, and yet Christ did it. He took the most extreme example of something that cannot be overcome and he conquered it. Then, when his most loyal friends doubted, he didn’t rebuke them, he reassured them and showed them how to deal with their doubt.

What tombs do you have in your life? What insurmountable problems are weighing you down?

I know March, straight-up, kicked my butt. There were amazing things that happened, but I slipped behind schedule and fell behind on my goals. I started to doubt myself. I started to question nearly everything, which is a typical response for me at burn out. But today, hearing this message, I felt a strange, albeit refreshing, sense of motivation. A renewal.

Like Christ, we must take the things that everyone says cannot be done and be the exception. We must take events or seasons that we think are in control of us, that we think are in our way, and make that very event, season, or thing THE way! Much like the resurrection of Jesus, whatever you think is in your way will only be in your way if you believe it to be. You can view your obstacle as a setback in your life or a setup that leads to a rise-up!

How can we achieve this? Transparency. Vulnerability. We have to be honest with where we are at. Allowing something to be a setup doesn’t mean that it isn’t what it is. We need a mindset shift. A new perspective. We have to accept where we are at and “hang it on the cross” for all to see. Our seasons of hardship will leave scars which translate to experience and wisdom. They are no longer wounds. They are not hurting us or bringing us down. Scars are proof of overcoming something that tried to bring us down. When we are transparent with our issues and honest with where we are at, it is going to wound us, but those wounds will turn to scars. Then we must show those scars to others who doubt. Others who are in a season of uncertainty. It is our opportunity to say, “look, I’ve been there and have the scars to prove it.. and I’m still standing.” A lesson learned should be a lesson shared.

So if you are currently in your metaphorical “tomb” then have enough faith to fight your “grave”/circumstances. Face it. Accept it. Overcome it. Let Christ’s resurrection represent your transformation. If you have scars to share from your journey, then wear them proudly. Someone is going through the same place that you just came from and could use your encouragement. Your scars can serve as their serenity and hope.