Response To Agony

“And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” 

Luke 22:44

Being in agony, we cry. Being in agony, we panic. Being in agony, we stop moving. Being in agony, we yell out in anger. Being in agony, we put on a fake smile to ignore it all. This is how we handle grief. Jesus is our example and model for all other parts of life, but agony? Real pain? Sorrow so deep that it is physically exhausting? It’s especially these times that we look at Jesus as our example. He didn’t ignore it, and He didn’t get furious with God. Instead of running from the powerful God who was sending Him through the anguish, He ran. He rushed. He dashed. He sprinted-straight into His comforting Father’s arms. He opened Himself up. He laid out His pain. He shared Himself honestly. In the most personal form of human speech, Jesus Christ prayed, and He prayed more earnestly. This doesn’t mean it was faster and louder in volume. It simply means that He surrendered Himself to brutal honesty with God. In His draining agony, He fervently sought His Father. He was processing the exceptional situation with His Maker, who was listening, just as earnestly. Let this example shape your response to agony. In anguish, pray more earnestly. Your Creator is faithful to hear and to help.