Not My Will

Anticipating the cross and the suffering, Jesus begins to feel deep sorrow. He takes three of His disciples—Peter, James and John—to Gethsemane to pray. Separating Himself from His disciples, He falls to the ground before His Father.

Jesus knows He’s going to be betrayed by His closest friends. He’s going to be tortured and killed on the cross like a criminal. He would drink the cup of God’s righteous wrath and He starts to get a foretaste of it. The cruel and violent part of His mission is about to begin and it takes an emotional and physical toll on Him.

Jesus’ honest conversation with God reveals the intensity of His anguish. He contends with His Father, asking Him to take the cup away from Him. And as much as Jesus wrestles with His Father, He ultimately chooses to obey Him. He relinquishes His desire to not suffer and submits to God’s plan.

Like Jesus, our desperation and pain can bring us to our knees before God. We can lay bare before Him our struggles and doubts. And then, we can find the strength to surrender our pain to Him. Instead of asking God to take away our pain, we can trust Him enough to know that it will all work out, in the end, for our good and His glory.

When we are in the midst of unspeakable grief or agony, we can ponder on Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane. His example comforts us for we know He, too, suffered, and He understands us. We can find the courage, strength, and inspiration to say, “Yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Respond

• What words escape your lips when you talk to God about your suffering?
• When was the last time you were conscious of the fact that you brought God great joy by willingly sacrificing your time, energy, or money for Him?