Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland, wrote children’s stories which not only captured the imagination of the children but also bore a message. In one of his fantasies he tells of a lock that runs around continually searching for something. Finally a curious bystander asks, "What is the matter?" "I am seeking," says the lock, "for something to unlock me."
How many of us are faced with the same dilemma as that of Lewis Carroll’s lock? Many times we go through life locked up in ourselves and in our anxieties. We want someone to unlock us - to release the latent powers within us - someone to set us free from our fears and to show us and help us develop solutions.
The cross of Christ is God’s statement that you and I have worth in his eyes. Whenever we see or wear a cross, it proclaims, "God believes I’m worthwhile, and he wants me to start appreciating my value." Often though, we see ourselves as weak and ineffective and not very competent. That simply is not true. We are children of God, created in his image. Therefore we have potential power. We have what it takes.
The New Testament says it this way, "Surely you know that you are God’s temple, and that God’s spirit lives in you!" Just think of it - we are the temple of Almighty God and his spirit is in us. How can we then say, "I haven’t got what it takes to meet a problem that is facing me?" We must never give up, never. If we believe the truth that God’s spirit is in us, we will never give up. For with God’s help we are equal to anything the Devil or life throws our way. God in Christ was able to overcome death itself, and he can certainly help us overcome our problems however big they might be.
Today God wants to provide a breath of fresh air for the smoke-filled rooms of our lives. Some lives are cluttered with fears and problems. We need only be willing to open the window of our hearts and let him in. We breathe in God’s spirit through reading and studying his Holy Word. With the Lord’s help we refurbish our body, his temple, and meet our problems head on.