People, advertisers, and businesses sell different products or services, but most of the time what they are trying to sell is happiness. Take a quick look at any magazine, commercial, or website. We’re constantly being told that in order to be happy, we need to have this, or look like that, or do this.
A lot of times for men it’s the career, the car, the women, and of course some six-pack abs. That’s all you need to be happy. You just need to be like James Bond, or Matthew McConaughey in a car commercial.
And then, there’s Jesus trying to sell us on His path to happiness. What are His USP’s (unique selling propositions)? Well, He didn’t have a glamorous career, He owned next to nothing, He lived a chaste life (sorry Dan Brown), and He didn’t have a six-pack (that we know of).
With Jesus, there’s only the cross.
The crosses in our lives are real. There’s no false advertising. It’s hard. It’s a grind. But, it’s what we are called to. You can’t photoshop or fake smile your way through life. There are no shortcuts. There’s only the cross waiting for us.
It’s through the cross that we reach true happiness. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. You can’t have Jesus without the cross.
When we encounter challenges, discomfort, pressure, stress, pain, and suffering — fight the urge to complain. Instead, think of one word. Grit. Be men with grit, with strength of character, with courage and resolve. Take up your cross.
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