Hebrews 12:2 (NCV)
Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But He accepted the shame as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before Him.
Did you know that you are the joy that was before Jesus whilst He endured such suffering, pain and separation from His father on the cross? I find it incredibly humbling and pretty mind-boggling to consider the value the Godhead places on us. Christ endured the horror of the cross so we could be in His family! He knew His current season of pain would end and there would be a glorious victory on the other side. And we are invited to be part of it!
Just think about that for a moment...
Could you help the child in your life to grasp the value and significance Jesus places on their life?
- Do a scavenger hunt around your home, garden or the park for anything your child thinks is a 'treasure'. Create a play tray or wonder basket to explore them together and chat about what makes something valuable. Share with them the truth of their priceless value to Father, Son and Spirit.
- Visit the cross in an Adventure Time. Use your brilliant imagination to meet with Jesus, to bring anything mad, bad or sad that is getting you down, to leave it with Him and receive His love instead. Help your child to engage with what Jesus wants to say or show them about how precious they are to Him. You could then draw or write about it.
- Draw your most valuable possession and share why it is so important to you. Pray for each other to know your true value in Daddy God's eyes. You are His most valuable possession!
- Hunt for clues whenever you read a bible story with your child, draw their attention to how God loves and cares and values His children, and how they are part of His family too! Jesus beat death, pain and sin so we can be with Him forever.
If you are experiencing your own sufferings and struggles, seek out the joy God is putting before you to enable you to endure. 'Look only to Jesus', receiving His strength and courage to move through the season you are in to the other side. There's an 'eternal prize' waiting for you!
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (NLT)
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
