Suffering and Sacrifice

Have you ever thought about if Jesus didn’t obey the call to the cross?

That question has haunted me for some time now…

Listen, if Jesus failed here, if Jesus found himself in the Garden of Gethsemane and said, “God! Is there any way I CAN’T do this?!” And then said, “Yep. Heard from God, He said I’m good” rather than, “but your will be done, not mine,” then the sacrifice of the cross would have been a failure.

If Jesus hadn’t done the hard work of suffering and anguishing and loathing his feelings before God, he wouldn’t have had the emotional capacity to handle what happened to him on that cross.

If Jesus wasn’t able to battle through the intensity of the spiritual warfare he was facing—so fierce that God sent angels to him in that Garden that night to tend to him—there’s NO WAY he would have been able to take on the weight of the world—the weight of all sin, shame and brokenness on the cross!

What’s the point? What is Jesus modeling for us?

It’s really a beautiful moment.

God’s showing us that He uses those soul-crushing moments.

God uses your adverse circumstances.

God uses the hurt, the pain, and the darkness.

God uses the war that’s waging inside your soul to prepare you for the ultimate purpose of your life—bringing Him glory the only way YOU can.

The question is, “will you be ready?”

How will you submit to sacrifice now in order to prepare for the trail you’ve been called to blaze?

You have to make the choice.

Submission to sacrifice must be decided now.

The hope and future of the world depends on it.

Be encouraged.