Today is Holy Thursday

What are the four most difficult words that we as Christians can say?"Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.' He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground."
Luke 22:42,44

What is God's will for you? Are you willing to drink from the cup He puts before you, or would you rather tell Him that you're not thirsty?
What are the four most difficult, humbling, frightening, challenging words that we as Christians can say? Do you give up? Alright, I'll give it to you...Thy will be done.

As many of you probably remember, today's verse was uttered by Jesus during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is basically saying, "If there's anyway for Your will to be done, Father...any way for your plan of Salvation to take place without my having to go through such hardship or pain...can we look into it? What sets Jesus apart, though, is that He follows it up by reminding God of His faithfulness, basically saying, "above all else, God, let things happen according to YOUR will and Your wants and Your needs, not my own." After uttering these famous words, our Lord, your and my Savior, prays so hard that he sweats blood.

I don't know about you but I've never prayed so hard that I sweat blood...I've never even come close to a nosebleed. Jesus knew what loomed ahead of Him. He knew the betrayal and pain He would soon experience...yet, even when He was in total agony and was wondering if there was any other alternative to the torture and brutal death that awaited Him, He said those words, "...not my will but YOURS be done." That, my brothers and sisters, is FAITH.

I start a lot of prayers like today's verse, but I sure don't finish a lot of prayers like it. I have no problem saying, "God, if I could still be considered a good Catholic Christian and make you happy, but not do (insert sacrifice/struggle here)..." The truth? Although I say that I do, most of the time, I don't put God's will AHEAD of my own. Most of the time, God's will for me is hard or uncomfortable, and I really wish that my faith would be easy.

I don't know if you're like me, but my version of "thy will be done" sounds more like "can you make Your will match up with mine, God? Oh, and, could you do that now...like tonight? I'm pretty busy, and I've got too much going on to have to keep asking You. Thanks." I'm too busy being a brat of God to stop and be His child.

If you and I had any guts, we'd pray every day that God's will be done in our lives. If we have the COURAGE to pray that AND mean it, we will have taken a HUGE step in our faith, and in spiritual maturity, today.

Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done. He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground." -Luke 22:42,44

Are you willing to put His WILL ahead of your own will? I will if you will !!!