Crucified Hearts

Every journey must begin from where we are, not from where we wish to be. Without a present location we have no destination.

Until we fully accept the reality of where we are in life, of who we have come to be, no matter who we are, no matter where that place is, we will always feel lost, not knowing where to begin our journey to a new or better place.

Change always begins with acceptance, accepting our past and present before we can move on.

The greater part of spiritual, emotional, and mental distress comes from a denial of reality, an unwillingness to accept things as they are. This distress is amplified, sometimes into madness, when our denial of reality includes the absence of hope for a better future.

Know too that…

“Acceptance of one’s life has nothing to do with resignation; it does not mean running away from the struggle. On the contrary, it means accepting it as it comes, with all the handicaps of heredity, of suffering, of psychological complexes and injustices.”

Paul Tournier

Acceptance of reality is the act of a responsible and reasonable mind, a mind willing to take responsibility for who we have become and where we reside in life. It is accepting that we are responsible for change as well, for choosing the path we are on.

Acceptance of reality is not fatalism, as if we have been put in our place without making any choices of our own. But it is true that we can find ourselves enslaved by others and circumstances beyond our control, forced into positions and places against our will. Yet even this place in life must be accepted as it is before it can be changed. If we do not acknowledge our predicament or enslavement we will not desire our freedom.

How then can we know our reality? What if our present position is so isolated or our distress is so great that we cannot see clearly, unable to see who we are or where we live? What if our relation to the world and to others has become so complicated that we have completely lost our ourselves in it?

The living God, our Creator and Redeemer, knows where we are, knows who we are and knows the way we should go. And he is with us through his Word to give us the guidance, the instruction, the very life that we need.

Acceptance of reality includes acceptance of God in it. It is seeing that we are not alone though we may feel alone. Acceptance of reality, of things as they are no matter how painful that may be, must include acceptance of the God who transcends our reality, even the reality of suffering and death.

As an example of how this worked out, this acceptance of reality, in the Life of Christ we read:

“Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
— Philippians 2:8-11

We see in Jesus that acceptance of reality is the essence of humility. And that this humility that accepts reality, “obedient unto death”, is the path to the glorius future God has prepared for all who live in faith and obedience to his will, who take up their cross and follow him.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
— John 16:13

For more:
— Psalm 119:105
— 2 Timothy 3:16-17
— Proverbs 6:22-23
— John 8:12