Journal Entry ~ 06/01/19

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

The hard reality of living in this broken world is that trials are coming. Hard things are going to happen to us and to the people we love. Sometimes they're the result of sinful choices, and sometimes they're refining tools God uses to transform our hearts...but they are coming. 

We need to know they're coming and prepare our hearts for them. An unprepared heart can get lost in discouragement and fear, which can lead to soul-crushing depression and paralyzingly anxiety. When something unexpected drops into your life and threatens your future, the first waves of fear and discouragement in the trial are not sin. The danger is when we yield to those feelings and don't put up a spiritual fight. We give in to those feelings and they overwhelm us. 

At the root of those feelings of discouragement and fear is unbelief, and that is sin. If we don't put up a fight and make a choice in those difficult moments, our initial feelings of fear and discouragement will spiral into anxiety and depression. That is sin. 

So many people I know are trapped in these sinful, vicious circles of mental illness, and we don't have to be. And we certainly don't have to stay there when we realize we're in the pit.  We have a choice about what think about and do. 

In this passage, Jesus is confronted with the most difficult trial in this moment, and feels those feelings of discouragement rising - He feels the same fear and discouragement we feel when confronted with a trial. What does He do to fight the spiritual battle?  He chooses close and trusted friends to spend time with Him - He doesn't isolate. And He pours out His heart to them - my soul is sorrowful, even to death. He doesn't try to be strong in that moment, He says what is on His heart. We have such a tendency to cover up our vulnerabilities! Or to hide our trials for fear of judgment from others, but here we are taught we should go to our friends. 

Then He goes to our Father in prayer and pours out His heart.  He cries to God in passionate pleas for what He wants, but then His final act is to submit His will to God's will. Before He leaves that prayer, He knows and He trusts that God's plan is for the greater good, and He submits. 

When we feel the soul-crushing trials of life hit, we need to get with our friends, we need to get on our knees and pour out our hearts to Him, and we need to submit our wills to His, trusting that His plan is for our good. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Medical Update ~ 09/27/17

Image
Today was a challenging day.  I met with the oncologist to discuss chemo as part of my treatment plan.  The oncologist explained there were 3 additional invasions discovered during surgery, so there were actually 4 isolated invasions in the breast tissue.  To review - my diagnosis is Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  All 4 of the invasions are HER2+ (aggressive) and hormone negative (recurrent).  My oncologist walked us through the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCM) guidelines for treatment of this type of aggressive, recurrent cancer - chemo and radiation. The good news is God had already moved the mountain in my heart opposing chemo, and rested me in a place of acceptance.  While my initial prayers focused on not having to have chemo as part of my treatment, after hearing I had multiple invasions, He moved me to a place of understanding that chemo is a necessary part of my treatment.  If there were 4 invasions in the sample they took, there co
Read more

My Journey Begins...

I am a believer in Christ, and I have breast cancer.     On August 17, 2017, I was diagnosed with an aggressive (HER2+), recurrent (hormone negative) type of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  At this point, they have not yet staged my cancer because they are waiting for the biopsy results from a suspicious spot in the second breast. The biopsy is scheduled for September 5th, with a lumpectomy to follow on September 7th.  They will formally stage my cancer after they biopsy my lymph nodes, which will be taken during the surgery.  It doesn't make any sense to me that I have a cancer diagnosis - I am a fairly healthy woman who runs 2 miles almost every day and eats a gluten-free, primarily paleo diet, with no family history at all.  But it makes sense to God, and so here I am. Update ~ They found 4 isolated invasions during the lumpectomy.  Due to the nature of my cancer (HER2+ and ER-), the recommended protocol is chemotherapy and radiation.  Beginning in October, my chemotherapy regime
Read more

Grace in Marriage

When we launched our new blog we had no idea if anyone would see it or be helped by it, but we knew that the LORD was prompting us to step out in faith and just do it. The response has been amazing and we are looking forward to how God will use this space for His glory. We have learned over many years of service in a variety of ministries, that God does not require human assistance to realize His plans for individuals, churches, nations, or the human race. But the story of the bible is the story of God’s will playing out through the words and actions of the His children. So…we pray, meditate on his Word, and write from the heart about the truths that mold our faith, guide our actions, and inspire our hearts and minds. Please visit the site and subscribe to continue receiving posts.  https://graceinmarriage.com/ It is our sincere hope that you are blessed by our work here and welcome your input on how we can make Grace in Marriage even better. Thank you for your support.
Read more