Becoming nothing.

Life is hard. 

Life is a process of being afflicted over and over and over and over.. etc. 

But in the middle of the affliction,

in the middle of the addiction,

in the middle of the relationship, the broken family, the death,

have you ever noticed how beautiful Jesus is? 

Yeah, I wouldn't have either. Often times it becomes hard to see Jesus when life is going 'well' (by the worlds standards). When you don't really have anything to complain about, it is difficult to praise the One who blesses. All to often, we get into a habit of simply praising the blessings. 

But what happens when the blessings are gone? I'm not talking about the eternal blessings, because obviously those are just that.. eternal. But I mean the awesome job you had, the one you were sure you were going to marry is gone, your best friend up and leaves, your family breaks, your money is gone, someone you cared about dearly suddenly dies. I'm talking, you have nothing else. 

It's hard to see Jesus through all of it. 

It's hard to see the eternal blessings.

We often hear, "Times of afflictions are blessings in disguise!"

I don't like that. At all, actually. When I am broken and hurting the last thing I want to hear is that everything happens at the right time and it's going to end up being a good thing. 

No. That's dumb. (fyi, if you ever tell someone that.. don't be surprised if they don't want you to see them broken again. Why? Because that's not what they want to hear and you just pushed them away. Truth)

Rather than holding out for the future for the good to come out of the pain, why can't we look now?

I don't mean be fake, you'll hurt yourself worse. 

I don't mean to not grieve, you'll emotionally kill yourself. 

I don't mean be optimistic when the only thing pouring through is natural pessimism. 

I simply mean, be the good. See the good.
What is the good? The beauty in the cross. 

I think we lose sight of how much pain was endured on the cross. A man (granite, it was Jesus) who was fully human was tortured in the most horrific way possible. If I can ever imagine a time where the afflictions seemed unbearable, it was then. Hanging on the cross: vulnerable, broken, hurting, bleeding. 

There is no better time to relate to Christ then we are broken. 

There is no relationship stronger then one that cries together, hurts together, overcomes together. 

That is the good. He is the good. 

Rather than telling yourself it will get better one day. Embrace it. Recognize it. Praise it. Today. 

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead."

Philippeans 3:10. 

When you allow yourself to be nothing, Christ becomes everything. 

Life's hard. You will break.

When you do, see the beauty of the cross.
Because let me tell you, it is beautiful. 

When you suffer, will you see the good or become stuck in the negative? 

God is good. He's big. He's powerful.

Allow yourself to become broken from the world, He will overcome the grave with you. 

Don't miss out. He is madly in love with you, as you are. 

Broken.