Wear It, or Bear It?

Almost anywhere and everywhere you can find someone wearing a cross. The most common place is around the neck. The necklace could be thick gold chain, or maybe just a plain thin silver chain. The cross a big flashy “bling-bling” for everyone to see, or a simple little cross to keep tucked under your shirt. They are made of gold, silver, diamonds, pewter, wood, stone, many different colors, shapes and sizes. I like the crosses made of nails. 

You also have the cross earrings, same as the cross on the necklace, just a smaller version. Then you have the grandiose cross of them all… the tattoo. The little “prison cross” usually found between the thumb and fore finger, or maybe a little bigger around the ankle or foot, even bigger on the arm or chest and the biggest across the back. 



Talk about different colors, shapes and sizes. Through the art of tattooing, and all the money you can supply… you can do anything to the cross that you could imagine. And when we wear our cross, we wear it with pride. Mostly because of the money, the more money we spend on the cross, the more proud of it we are.
 

For most of us who wear the cross it has some relevance to God. We wear it to show we have a relationship with God, go to church, read the Bible… at least, that’s the impression we give to someone who sees us wearing the cross. What does the cross really mean to you? What do you think about when you see the cross; around you neck, in your ear, on your body… forever? 

The cross is a symbol of a commitment to follow Jesus through good times and bad times. Not just to give Him all the glory when things are going good and turn your back on Him when things are going bad. But, to praise Him and thank Him for all the good that happens in your life. To praise Him and thank Him for the strength that He gives you to make it through the bad that happens in your life.
 

It also means denying yourself, saying you are willing to suffer, even to the death, for Jesus Christ. It is a tool for you to use to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone. To give them a chance to wear the cross because they know what it stands for.
 

The cross… they nailed Jesus to that cross you wear, that’s were He shed His blood and died for you. If you think about it, the cross is a symbol of death. So tell me, would you wear a nice little silver hangman’s noose, or a maybe a “bling-bling” guillotine. Wait I got it… how about a diamond-studded electric chair? None of that sounds very appealing does it?
 
My point is… when you wear your cross, whether it’s around your neck, in your ear or tatted on your body. Wear it with the pride that you know what it stands for. Jesus didn’t say “And whoever does not wear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” But, Jesus did say “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”(Lk.14:27)