YOUR Life (Daily Encouragement Series)
“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” – Luke 22:39-44
Life is challenging. It can be challenging to follow Jesus and pursue “the Father’s will for our life.” What we see below from Peter Scazzero in “Emotionally Healthy Relationships” is that is is not helpful for us when we compare our lives to others. We have to live our own life – with it’s limits, setbacks and difficult choices – not someone else’s:
Until this point in his earthly life, Jesus had predicted that his calling was to suffer God’s judgement for the sins of humanity by means of an awful death on the cross. But here in Gethsamane he struggles with the horror of drinking this particular cup of suffering. He prays, he wrestles, and then submit’s to the Father’s will for his life. In doing so, Jesus models the profound surrender required of every believer.
God has a cup of suffering for each of us to drink—our unique, God-given destiny. It involves limits, setbacks, and difficult choices. Henri Nouwen summarizes this experience well:
No two lives are the same. We often compare our lives with those of others, trying to decide whether we are better or worse off, but such comparisons do not help us much. We have to live our life, not someone else’s. We have to hold our own cup. We have to dare to say: “This is my life, the life that is given to me, and it is this life that I have to live, as well as I can. My life is unique. Nobody else will ever live it. I have my own history, my own family, my own body, my own character, my own friends, my own way of thinking, speaking, and acting—yes, I have my own life to live. No one else has the same challenge. I am alone, because I am unique. Many people can help me live my life, but after all is said and done, I have to make my own choices about how to live.”
Most of us don’t have a problem with doing God’s will—as long as it doesn’t involve too much pain. The reality, however, is that we all have particular struggles and vulnerabilities that tempt us to stray from the center of God’s will.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for crafting a unique and unrepeatable life for me to live. Forgive me for how often I have strayed from that path and compared my life to those of others. Fill me with the Holy Spirit, and grant me wisdom, power, and the courage to follow you—even when I am not sure where or how you are leading me. In Jesus’ name, amen.