At Least be Honest March 9, 2016

³⁹ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”  Matthew 26:39 ESV

While none of us will ever have the burden of the salvation of mankind on our shoulders, and most of us will not face death because of our obedience, I think that Jesus' garden prayer is applicable in our work-a-day world.  

As I reread the passages in Matthew 26:36-42, Mark 14:35,36, and Luke 22:41-42, it occurred to me that we constantly ask God to remove an undesirable cup from us.  One of the main differences is that at least Jesus had the courage and integrity to tell the Father he was not looking forward to the required obedience.  In three of the four Gospels, Jesus goes to the Father and honestly, openly asks for an option to death on the cross.


How often do we avoid doing God's will?  You should apologize to your spouse, but she started it!  That small group needs a teacher, but it will conflict with that monthly tee time at Highland Springs.  Sure the homeless ministry could use an extra $50 a month, but that would mean dropping the premium channels on cable.  Do you have the guts to go to God in earnest prayer and tell Him you are not excited about what He is asking of  you, or do you just slink away from obedience and ignore His leading?

God would rather you approach Him openly and humbly and tell Him you are not looking forward to obedience, even to the point of asking for an alternative IF we are willing to be obedient regardless of His answer.  Jesus would have taken a path other than crucifixion if offered by Jehovah, but that was the only path for our salvation, therefore, Jesus was obedient even unto death.

God is not afraid of your fears, your indecisions, your objections as long as you walk away from the Garden with a resolute attitude of obedience to His final answer.  Trust God enough to be honest.  He can handle it.