Arise Into the Fullness

It is not ironic that we celebrate the birth of Christ in the month of December. The birth of our Lord and Savior is in the last calendar month of our year. It is a sign of new beginnings, of one chapter closing and a new life to be celebrated. His birth is a time of celebration and for families to gather from far and wide. His birth is also the celebration of each and every one of our lives and the important role we each play in the fulfillment of our purpose. We are the living breathing embodiment of Christ on earth. That is why it is our call to purify our bodies and make them holy and righteous vessels for Christ to fully inhabit. There is no greater love or sacrifice than to walk a path for Jesus. He is worthy of our sacrifice to be pure representations of his glory on earth and it is only with others that it can be made possible. We can never fulfill it alone.

There are moments as a follower of Christ it feels as though, today is going to be the day that you throw in the towel and give up on relationship and living a life for Christ. However, whenever things feel heavy and they start to feel like everything is closing in, these are the moments that the character of Christ, that is to say, the spirit of Christ reigns victories to those who say yes and humble themselves to let him shine. Jesus would never, has never, and will never bow to the temptation to give in or give up; which only means that we too have the ability to never bow to these temptations either. Yet, why does that seem so daunting and scary? It sounds that way, because you are imagining having to do it alone. The truth is that the burden we carry, he carries with us and he sends people into our lives to help carry the burden. Jesus did not fulfill his purpose without others. If anyone did not need anyone to do it, it would be him, yet still had people along the journey. That is why we are not on the earth alone. There is an invitation by Christ to commune with others, no matter how difficult that may be for some to receive. It is in communion with others that we can see clearly the manifestation of Christ’s glory on the earth.

It was not long ago, that a young naive me thought that I had to do this life alone. That there was no one who wanted to link arms and do life with me. There was a time that I thought I knew how to walk out a pure walk with Christ, but no one around me would understand. There was once a young naive me who did not have the understanding of the magnitude of the glory that was within me as a believer and child of God. What allowed me to see more clearly was the humility to let others in to help me. Help from others did not mean I was incapable, or a burden, but rather that I was capable of receiving Christ’s love from others, and that I was worth fighting with and for in life. It was in receiving from others that allowed me to give more freely, and it is truly what made me a more pure representation of Christ.

It was not what I did alone, or what I did for others that carried more weight to Jesus, but equally my ability to stand along side others and let them into my heart and life. That is what made me more Christ like. Christ was not born into this world to walk out his call as our Savior without being birthed into the world into the arms of Mary and Joseph. Jesus was raised by parents, had siblings, had classmates, and as an adult, he had friends and 12 disciples among others who helped him preach the gospel and minister to the lost, broken, forgotten, and sick. The one example that testifies to this truth more fully than any other and that broke my heart open completely is a man from the last and final day of his life. His name is Simon of Cyrene. This man specifically brought to life the reality that to fullfill my walk as a follower of Christ, and to truly embody Christ, I had to let people into the walk with me. In Luke 23:24 we read that, “As they led Jesus away, they seized one, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.”

You see it is when we fall once, twice, and three times, that people like Simon of Cyrene show up in our lives to help us pick up our cross to fulfill our call to live lives of purity and righteousness. When we deny these people from coming in and helping us pick up our cross we are denying a whole part of the essence of who Christ is in us. It is in our insecurity and vulnerability that we push people away. We are denying a part of who Christ is in us. It is the Jesus that was born for us, who lives in us, who also lives through us to complete the call. So, the next time you feel like you are falling, the next time you think it is weak to ask a friend or loved one for help, know that you are not a burden, know that these people might be your Simon of Cyrene. The ones who are willing to pick up your cross and help you along the way. If Christ fulfilled his call in doing so, would it not be asked of us to do the same, and receive in the celebration, the love, the encouragement, and the help to fullfill our call to be more like Christ from our brothers and sisters? So this Christmas season, my prayer for each and every one of us is that we would be humble and open to let others into our lives so that we might see us each arise into the fullness of Christ on earth.