Lately In my email newsletters (available for FREE at http://www.ChristThroughMe.com ) I've been talking about how Jesus has experienced everything that we will ever go through here on earth. Yes, even in our most trying times we can be sure that our Lord has already triumphed in our particular situation. So we can be comfortable talking to him about our troubles. This is important and a comforting thing to know. For it's comforting to know you can talk to someone who has been through your situation. More important than the comforting feelings is that Jesus showed us the way to deal with these emotions. In the last email Jesus got mad at people disgracing the house of prayer, the temple. So He did the right thing and threw them out and was rightly justified in expressing His anger with them. It's important for me to interject that anger in and of itself is not a sinful emotion, it's a natural one. It will occur, the important thing is to be in control of the emotion, let it out and recover. Remember that after Jesus stopped the selling and misuse of the temple grounds He taught them that what they were doing was wrong (Mark 11:17-18). There is another emotion that I want to focus on in this article though. An emotion so powerful it can hurt worse and cripple more severely than physical pain. That emotion is Sorrow. Sorrow can come in many forms, from many places and can hurt tremendously. So much so that death can seem like a welcomed event..and an acceptable alternative to the present circumstances. Yes, tis true, Sorrow can be the worst emotion. Just look at the suicide rate in this Country (USA) and you'll see that there are a lot of people that suffer from great sorrow. I'd bet dollars to donuts that you can probably think of someone that you've personally known that has given in to sorrow and taken their life. Such a sad fact, but true (I know it's true for me). Jesus has experienced horrible sorrow too! And He has showed us the way to deal with it! The correct manner to deal with situations that are not turning out the way we had hoped, and the future seems so bleak. Jesus taught us to TRUST. To trust in Father's perfect will and trust that He knows what's best for us even when we can't see it , even when it seems like the hardest thing to do in the world, Jesus taught us to trust and submit to the will of Father. On the night that Jesus was to be betrayed He knew what had to happen, the horrible suffering that was going to come. I like the way the NIV version translates what Jesus tells His disciples about his feelings, when He was going off to pray: "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" (Mark 14:34) Wow! How incredibly troubled He must of been! He was so troubled that He did what most of us would do. He prayed that Father could take the trouble from Him. (Mark 14:35-36): "Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. Abba, Father, he said, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me... But! Remember what Jesus did next is what we should pay attention to (as we often forget). In an almost inconceivable act of humble submissiveness and amazing trust, amazing faith in His Father's will for Him. He prays: "...Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:36) Jesus was in such anguish during this prayer that His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44). He even went back from praying to find His disciples asleep where He had left them (talk about feeling alone and uncared for--they were sleeping!) and after waking them, went back and repeated his prayer. He did this again. 3 Times He prayed that if it was possible, that His Father could take this burden from Him because He was in such troublesome spirits. But each time He reaffirmed His father's will for His life to be what He desired most (Mark 14:37-42) So Take Note Christian! Next time Life's troubles have you so unhappy and full of sorrow that you don't think you can stand it. Don't be afraid to ask God first for deliverance but sincerely, honestly and humbly pray that His will be done, no yours. Jesus showed us the way to live, relying on the Father and through faith accepting His will even when it seems horribly painful to do so! |
