I Choose Today to See Through the Lens of the Cross

Sometimes it’s hard to see beyond what’s broken. We look around at the world—or at our own lives—and all we see is what’s been lost, what’s gone wrong, or what hasn’t changed. But the Cross invites us to see differently. Not just to believe that Jesus died for us, but to begin seeing everything—people, pain, purpose—through what He already finished.

This isn’t just about how God sees us. It’s about how we’re called to see the world: through the lens of redemption, not ruin. Through resurrection, not regret. Through the lens of the Cross.

We often speak of Jesus’ death and resurrection as a personal victory—and it is. But it’s also more. When Jesus gave His life and took it back up again, He redefined reality. He ushered in a new way of seeing everything: a way where mercy triumphs over judgment, where sin doesn’t get the last word, and where hope rises from the most unexpected places.

When we speak and live from that truth—from what Jesus has already accomplished—our words begin to carry the fragrance of resurrection. We stop echoing people’s pain and start calling out their purpose. We stop fixating on the past and start pointing to the One who made it right.

Jesus said, “It is finished.” — John 19:30. Those three words weren’t a sigh of surrender. They were a declaration of victory. Sin was defeated. Death was disarmed. Shame was stripped of its power. The separation between God and humanity was forever bridged.

But here’s the thing: even though the work is finished, many of us still live as if it’s not. We preach forgiveness but live in fear. We teach grace but operate out of striving. We believe in resurrection but cling to what’s broken. And as believers, we often stay stuck in the consequences of the Fall—focused on sin, shame, and survival—instead of stepping into the Kingdom reality Jesus inaugurated at the Cross.

To live through the lens of the Cross means we see others not by what they’ve done but by what Christ has done for them. We interpret circumstances not through despair, but through hope. We live not from a place of striving to be enough, but from a place of resting in the One who is.

Think of someone—or something—that feels hopeless. Now ask: How would Jesus see this through the lens of the Cross? What has He already declared finished—even if you can’t yet see the fruit?

Prayer

Jesus, help me see the world through Your finished work. When I’m tempted to dwell on what’s broken, lift my eyes to what You’ve redeemed. Teach me to speak life where there’s been loss—and to walk as You walked, full of grace and truth.

Today’s Step

Write one declaration of hope over a person or situation that feels impossible. Speak it aloud—through the lens of the Cross. Let your words agree with what Heaven is already saying.