For the past five years or so, I have committed to the same prayer every Christmas and Easter season.  It’s a simple one, but I pray it because I want to learn the deeper things of God.  I do not want to fall into the temptation of routine and miss what God desires to reveal.  So far, I’ve been blown away by how faithfully God answers this simple prayer.

My prayer: “Show me more of You, teach me something new this (Christmas or Easter) season.”

Through a set of personal circumstances that seemed rather devastating at the time, God allowed me to see the days leading to Christ’s crucifixion differently. I understood a bit more the verse in Galatians 2 which says,”I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

This brought my thoughts to Christ and the garden of Gethsemane. I’m not positive this is theologically sound, because I am not theologian. But I feel it is compelling enough to share.

I believe there is a point in time in our Christian walk where our physical reality (what we see, do, touch, understand) conflicts with our spiritual calling.  It creates a deep, deep conflict because the choice boils down to sight versus faith. I believe even Jesus experienced the agony of that decision when he prayed twice, ” My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  (Matthew 26).  Jesus’s spiritual calling was so extraordinary that we can’t really comprehend all of it. Certainly, we will not be asked to take on such a monumental task, but in our own way we must suffer in our garden. There will be a time when we will be asked to choose between our physical reality and our spiritual calling if we keep pursuing the deeper mystery of God.

What an example of faith we have in Christ.  Thank you, Jesus!

 
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  Hebrew 11:1