Jewelry That Means Something

A cross dangling from a chain: It was made to wear around a neck; to rest upon a chest in plain view. Is it just a piece of jewelry?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
First Jesus was whipped, skin ripping from his back and blood draining from His body. Then He was beaten severely by Roman soldiers. They pulled hairs from His beard and pierced His head with a crown of thorns. Then He had to carry a heavy cross a very long distance until He reached Golgotha (the place of a skull). Nails were hammered into His wrists and feet, and He suffered on the cross for hours and hours. To make it plain, Jesus was tortured. He was tortured for me, tortured for you, tortured for all mankind, because that’s how great His love was and still is for each person on this earth. We were all born sinners, and He died on the cross for our sins. He paid our sin debt in full.
The cross is a symbol like no other; a symbol of the great love, the agape love, God has for mankind. Jesus was God in the flesh. (John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 – And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us) He could have come down from that cross anytime He wanted to, but He stayed and suffered agonizing pain so that we would have a choice to not spend eternity in hell. Because God gave His only Son, we can choose to accept Jesus as our personal Savior. People know about God, and that’s cool. But just knowing about God isn't enough. His Son Jesus is the key to salvation. “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
So a cross dangling from a chain, cross earrings, cross charms, cross tie clips, cross toe rings – these are all way more than pieces of jewelry. I see a cross and my first thought is, Jesus. I see a person wearing a cross and I think, This person is representing Jesus or at least acknowledging Him and His crucifixion. So, I’m thinking people who wear a cross care enough to conduct themselves in a way that is pleasing to God. That isn’t always the case, though, and this saddens me.