On the night that He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot just before His crucifixion, Jesus took his disciples with Him to a garden called Gethsemane, which was at the foot of the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem. He asked them if they would pray with Him during this time while he went a short space away and entered into an intense, agonizing time of prayer to the Father. He knew the hour had come where the time of His suffering for humanity on the cross was at hand. He knew the great price and sacrifice that lay before Him, that He had to be betrayed at the hands of sinful men, crucified and that He would rise again on the third day (Luke 24:7), forever making reconciliation between God and sinful humans by the shedding of His blood (1 Peter 1:18-19;1 Peter 3:18). But this hour at Gethsemane was a great spiritual battle for Him, so much so, that Scriptures say that He was in so much anguish and inner turmoil, that as He prayed, the sweat that fell from His body was like “great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44). But even so, Scripture reveals what He had already concluded.
Luke 22:42 – NLT – “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Jesus was willing to obey and trust His Heavenly Father no matter what the cost to fulfill His purpose by stating that regardless of what lies ahead, He wanted God the Fathers will to be done more than His own will. What an amazing example our Lord set before us in sacrifice, obedience and trust!
While no one will ever come close to what Jesus went through during this time in the garden, nor will anyone ever accomplish what He did, we can take note of His words “I want your will to be done and not mine” as a lesson to be learned as we examine our own lives. Are we as Christians having this same mindset as we live our lives for the Lord, determined to live according to God’s will, or are we more determined to live our life the way that we want? As we examine ourselves and our lives, are we following God’s ways as written in His Word, or are we doing our own thing?
Throughout my life and walk with God, I’ve had to stop and take an assessment on whether or not I was walking in His will or my own will. In cases where the Holy Spirit would begin to pinpoint certain areas in my life that was not fully surrendered to Him, I’ve had to get before the Lord in prayer, humble myself, then by the help of the Holy Spirit who is our lifelong and eternal helper (John 14:16;26;John 15:26) allow Him along with the Word of God to align those areas according to His will. And this is a continuing process in my life as well as all of our lives.
God is looking to transform us and work in us so that when the world looks at us, they will see someone who loves and reacts just like Jesus would. Scripture says this:
Romans 8:29 – NIV – For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
The world needs to see a church that acts, loves and speaks the truth like Jesus did, but we will not be able to do it if we are not subject to His will or if we are stubbornly holding onto our own will. You will find many times, our will and God’s will cross and we have to make a decision which one we choose to obey. For example, let’s say someone says something to you or a family member that you don’t like. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Is it “well, I’m going to go to that person and give them a piece of my mind!” Then you go down and either tell (or ‘cuss’) that person out. Or do you stop, think and evaluate the situation, subject yourself to the Holy Spirit and God’s Word and say “Lord, how would you want me to handle this situation?” Granted, there are some situations that will require a confrontation, but how do you respond? Nothing wrong with being upset and angry, but you can do that without spewing out “venom”. You do have the power to respond biblically IF you choose to do so. Scripture says this:
Colossians 4:6 – NIV – Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone
So I encourage everyone to think about what you are doing and how you are responding in your lives. Like a stubborn mule, are we still doing and responding to things “our way” or subjecting ourselves to the will of God? I believe the God’s Word Translation sums it up best:
Psalms 32:8-9 – GWT – ⌞The Lord says, “I will instruct you. I will teach you the way that you should go. I will advise you as my eyes watch over you. Don’t be stubborn like a horse or mule. They need⌟ a bit and bridle in their mouth to restrain them,
or they will not come near you.”
God Bless!
