Had you sat next to Jesus in Gethsemane, knowing what he would face the next day, you probably would have concluded he wasn’t up to the task. If just the thought of crucifixion affected him so dramatically, what would the actual event itself do to him?
However, once Jesus climbed to his feet and left the garden, he never looked back. He endured betrayal, beatings, rejection, humiliation, and injustice—all before the hours spent hanging on the cross. At the place of execution, nails were driven through his wrists and feet, and he was suspended between the grey Judean sky and the blood-soaked earth. So galvanized was his faith that throughout the entire ordeal he continually trusted in his Father and expressed compassion and concern for those around him.
I’m convinced the key to such confidence rests in Gethsemane. You and I might pray in the face of a crisis—but do we walk away from that prayer with a supernatural confidence? I hope so.
To be perfectly honest, I’m not batting 1,000 on that one. I’m not even hitting 500. Sometimes I become so obsessed with finding a solution to a problem I don’t have time to pray—or I don’t take time. While such planning is crucial, when it crowds out my time with God, I have, according to the trite adage, “put the cart before the horse.”
My priorities are distorted in the midst of a crisis because they are distorted before the crisis. The place to face my fears is with God. If I make spending time with him a daily habit, I’ll discover he can be trusted because he helps me overcome my daily doubts and fears. If I can trust him with my routine, then I’ll be able to confidently approach him in faith when a big crisis hits.
Adapted from my book, Awaken the Leader Within.
Photo by Waiting for the Word Gethsemane 36, CC
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