Welcome to Palm Sunday! The beginning of Holy Week. Most years I find a devotional in my YouVersion Bible app that pertains to Holy Week. This year I plan on using this week to reflect on my relationship with Jesus and how that relationship comports with or maybe competes with the other parts and aspects of my life.
As Christians, we can say we are Christians first and that’s all that matters, regardless of our heritage, race, job situation, income, bank balances, etc. But the world doesn’t see it that way. And although we are not of this world, as Believers, we are in this world. We have to live in it, and we must do so with and in wisdom.
The world will never let some of us forget who we are even as we know whose we are.
The world will try to do everything in its power to keep us in our place. The place the world created. As Believers we know we are joint heirs with Christ, but the world will remind us every day just where it thinks we belong based on everything I mentioned above.
So as Believers, we know our worth. But as Believers living in a broken world, we have to keep our worth in Jesus at the top of our minds when we are called names, mistreated, ignored, erased, and all the things that happen to us as humans, by other humans.
I cannot manage all of that, balance all of that, and feel all that in a healthy way, as a Believer, without taking all of it to Jesus. Doing so will show me how to deal with it as a Believer who has interests in our world, our politics, our poor, our disenfranchised, our rich, our miseducated, our laws, our mistreated, our ignored, our judged, our underpaid, our overpaid, our us as human beings wanting to or not wanting to interact with each other.
Because I believe God put in my heart, in my personality, in my interests, the things I mentioned above. He does not want me to push it down, but I believe He wants me to do all I do in wisdom, grace, and mercy. And to be honest, I have not always felt that way lately when I see how the ‘historically marginalized’ are even more marginalized. And by people who are smart enough to know better.
Yes, this is a lot to chew on in one week. But if anyone can do it I can. And whatever is left over I will use the rest of 2023 to work it out.
What are you doing for Holy Week?