In 1693, Thomas Shepherd wrote the song entitled “Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone.” Two of the verses of that song read as follows:
Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
and all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for everyone,
and there’s a cross for me.
The consecrated cross I’ll bear,
till he shall set me free,
and then go home my crown to wear,
for there’s a crown for me.
I like that song for several reasons, but one is that it teaches that one’s cross comes before one’s crown. That fundamental truth seems to have been lost to many people, for how often do you hear of people giving up and leaving the church and Jesus himself when difficulty arises? But such hardships should come as no surprise. Jesus warned us, saying, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).
When we allow hardship and hurt feelings to derail us, or at least slow us down, it demonstrates that we have forgotten that we must bear a cross before we are privileged to wear a crown. Work comes before rest. Sacrifice comes before reward. Struggle comes before victory. And humility comes before exaltation (2 Cor. 4:17).
So, what about you? Are you bearing your cross in this life, or are you spending your time possibly daydreaming about how your crown is going to fit? Brethren, we have work to do. Rest comes later.
Am I saying we’re not working? Of course not! I don’t know a harder-working congregation than this congregation. But there’s too much to do than to rest and be satisfied with our work. Remember, we have a cross to bear. Or to say it another way, “Must Jesus bear the cross alone, and all the world go free? No, there’s a cross for everyone, and there’s a cross for me.”