I have been telling people for years that the cross has all the answers for any problem we face in life. Jesus demonstrates how to walk through anything that we must face in life by the way He, Himself walked to the cross.

Surviving, loneliness, hurt from your father, sexual abuse, mockery, bullying, abandonment, injustice, death, singleness, betrayal, denial, separation from God, and all the realities of sin have become part of our lives. We can look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) to endure the crosses we each are asked to bear as a part of living in a sinful world. Every answer to every problem is found in the cross.

Today, my problem is my inability to cope with technology and being taken advantage of by what the Bible calls usury or being ripped off. How can a problem like that be answered in the cross? Jesus didn’t live in the technological age in which I live. How can He really help? I stopped and thought about the cross. What could Jesus teach me? How could I follow Jesus with a twenty-first century problem like this?

My technical problem was far beyond my understanding, and I had no other recourse but to pray. I prayed like Jesus; Why is this happening right now? Why is it happening today when I set aside just enough time to finish my devotional writing so I could do the next three things on my list of things to do? I prayed and I kept working on the problem. I could not write the devotion until the technical problem was solved. I prayed and started over. I did the same things I had done before. After one hour the result was different. I was given a resolution to the technical problem that to this day I cannot explain why or how it worked. Perhaps my technology problem in the middle of writing my devotion was purposed by God so I would learn this example about the cross showing us how to walk through all problems.

Because of the cross I can find hope and victory. Death was destroyed by the cross. Sin lost its domination of my soul because of the cross. When I feel abandoned, mocked and attacked, judged, abused, hurt, dying—I can find hope from the cross of Christ.

Hebrews 12:2 exhorts us:

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

With Jesus, I learn to look at the crosses I am forced to endure and only temporary challenges that are a part of this world. Each time I scorn the shame of the cross and endure it; I do so because I recognize the power the cross has to change eternity. Each cross that I am forced to bear releases the power of God as He uses my crosses to reveal His glory.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).