Have you ever found yourself desperately searching for a way out of a difficult situation? We're all constantly looking for ways out, ways through, ways forward. In life's journey, we often want clarity, but what we really crave is control. We desire peace without pressure, purpose without pain, and breakthrough without obedience.

But I want to share something powerful that God revealed to me about "the way of the cross" and how it transforms our approach to life's challenges.

The Path Jesus Walked

When Jesus carried the cross, He didn't bypass pain, He walked straight through it. Before He ever carried that wooden beam, He carried us. He left heaven, wrapped Himself in flesh, and entered our brokenness not to observe it but to redeem it. That's grace. That's the gospel.

Scripture tells us: "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name" (Philippians 2:8-9).

What many would call miraculous was actually the result of complete obedience to God the Father. Obedience made way for the miracle.

Crosses Aren't Meant to Cancel Our Calling

Jesus knew betrayal was coming. He knew denial was around the corner. He knew death was near. Yet He still walked forward. Why? Because it was the only way.

The cross didn't cancel His calling, it confirmed it. What was designed to humiliate Him actually exalted Him. The instrument of death became the evidence of destiny. What looked like defeat was actually the fulfillment of everything He came to do.

As theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." Die to your pride. Die to your plans. Die to your ego. Die to what you think is your destiny.

The Law of the Hidden Path

I've learned that God often leads us through what doesn't seem like the way because He's forming something in us on the way. I call this "the law of the hidden path."

The road to glory almost never looks glorious. The path that leads to resurrection first looks like rejection. The right way doesn't always look right. Sometimes it's dark, sometimes it's hidden, and sometimes it feels like delay. But if God led you there, He's doing something in you along the way.

In France, there's a saying: "chemin de croix,"  translated "the way of the cross." People say it during moments of hardship, not as a complaint but as a responsibility to identify. It means: "I'm committed to this, and I will not try to escape it, cheat it, or complain about it."

You Don't Get Raised Until Something Gets Buried

Resurrection requires death first. You don't get raised until something gets buried. What do you need to kill off? What do you need to bury? What do we have to put away so that the new life you're hoping and praying for can come alive?

The difference between us and Jesus is that He was already perfect. What He's asking you to humble yourself to is only going to perfect you. You'll never be perfect on this side of heaven, but you will be perfected.

Everyone Wants a Way, But Jesus IS the Way

We want what Jesus offers without walking where Jesus walked. We want resurrection without crucifixion. But faith isn't about feeling better, it's about trusting deeper.

The way of the cross doesn't avoid wounds; it redeems them. Jesus doesn't promise a pain-free life; He promises a purposeful one.

And here's the good news: Jesus didn't just carry His cross; He carries you through yours. He walks with you through the valley of the shadow of death. He never leaves nor forsakes you.

Making Our Way Public

Baptism is "the way made public." The way of the cross was never meant to stay private. Jesus didn't carry His cross in secret. He carried it publicly for the world to see.

When you carry your cross, you encourage me to carry mine, and when I carry my cross, I encourage you to carry yours. Your cross isn't just about you, it's for the people around you too. If you pick up your cross, you encourage me that it's possible for me to carry mine.

From Tragedy to Triumph

Remember September 11, 2001, when the towers fell and lower Manhattan was shut down? Bridges closed, subways frozen, over half a million people trapped. But then boats started showing up. Fishermen, ferry captains, tugboats, sailboats, and even party yachts formed a spontaneous rescue that ferried over 500,000 people to safety.

They turned the Hudson River, something people feared, into the only way forward. That's the way of the cross. The path that doesn't look powerful but is the only one that saves.

Today, God says, "I've got boats for you." It's called the name of Jesus. It's called the power of the Holy Spirit. It's called making a public declaration of faith.

Moving Forward on the Way

What road are you ignoring that might lead you to resurrection? What cross are you called to carry? What needs to die in your life so that something new can live?

The way of the cross calls us to suffer well, serve deeply, and love radically. It asks us to be present in our pain rather than trying to bypass it.

Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11). He laid down His life because we couldn't get life on our own.

Today, I challenge you to step into what God is calling you to do. Embrace the way of the cross, not because you have to, but because something inside you says, "How could I not?"

Are you ready to say, "I'm about to step into what I'm supposed to, even though I didn't see it coming. I'm here for it, embracing all that comes with it"?

The cross awaits. And so does resurrection.