Author: Brian Burdett

“And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’” – Mark 14:37-38

Jesus knows us so well, doesn’t He? We have the best of intentions, but so often, in the moment, our bodies defeat us! A great test was coming, Jesus commanded His closest followers to pray, but instead they slept. The most critical thing to do in that moment was praying and they chose sleeping. Most of us can probably sympathize! How many Christians have good plans to read the Bible more consistently, pray more often, and practice other key spiritual habits, but in the end, won’t make the necessary daily sacrifice of a few minutes of sleep and a few minutes on our phones?

The body, its desires, appetites, and weaknesses is a powerful influence. However, as followers of Christ, we have the resources to overcome it. If we’ll commit to use them. It takes discipline and some sacrifice. Enormous spiritual growth and transformation is available to us through Christ, if we’ll simply exercise the daily self-discipline necessary to experience it.

Following Christ is hard. Jesus was clear on this point. It requires self-denial. It requires devotion to prayer to resist temptation, rather than pretending that with a bit more sleep we won’t be tempted. It involves the sacrifice of time and sleep sometimes. But it’s worth it! As followers of Jesus, we should want to live a better life that’s pleasing to God. Are we willing to do the hard work of daily prayer so that we can overcome temptation?

“Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”” – Mark 12:29-31

Very little needs to be said here. Jesus is crystal clear about what’s most important. Yet, despite its simplicity and clarity, we’re not very good at obeying this Great Commandment!!!

Jesus showed us what it looks like to obey. By His life, ministry, and sacrificial death, Jesus showed us what total love for God and neighbor looks like. It looks like love (and obedience) to God that takes priority over love of family, love of country, love of tradition, love of preference, love of comfort, love of safety, love of money, love of career, love of politics, love of party, and love of social status. God must truly come first!

Jesus showed us what love of neighbor looks like. It looks like compassion, care, contact, and counsel for the sick, the disgraced, the outcast, the outsider, the immigrant, the poor, the sinful, the shameful, the despised. It looks like love that transcends all cultural boundaries, racial boundaries, and social boundaries.

Jesus showed us what to do. He told us this was most important. And yet, we still stumble and fall in these matters, focusing instead on a thousand other issues without getting these right. First, things first. Let us love God and love neighbor every hour of every day.

“For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.”
– Psalm 30:5

With God, even the darkest of times are only temporary and brief compared to eternity. Though we earn His anger by our rebellion, stubbornness, and sin, God is always ready to forgive utterly and completely. In Christ, forgiveness is always at hand – all we must do is confess our sin and ask God to forgive. When God forgives, it is absolute – the sin is gone, the record of it is gone, nailed long ago to the cross of Jesus. The blessing and love of God through Jesus Christ is ours to enjoy for all the years of this mortal life and for all eternity afterward.

No matter the hardships, sorrow, and grief we experience, no matter how deep, painful, or how long-lasting, there is a glorious eternal morning ahead of us! While each day is a new gift from God, there will be one day in which Jesus returns and the heavens and earth are renewed. In that glorious day, there will be no more grief, no more suffering, no more pain, no more poverty, no more injustice. Ever.

On that day, we will see the Lord with our own eyes and He will comfort us Himself. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) Make no mistake, the joy of the morning is coming!

“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.” – Leviticus 10:1-2 

As New Covenant Christians, we rightly emphasize the mercy, grace, kindness, and love of God. However, we must also remember those aren’t the complete portrait of the glorious God of Creation. He is not an “anything goes” kind of God nor a God of “you do you, I’ll do me”. God’s holiness, righteousness, and justice are not to be taken lightly. The small details of faithful obedience matter. 

The sons of Aaron, the newly installed High Priest, were killed early in their ministry because they decided to improvise. Though God’s instructions were clear, these two men decided they knew better. How very much like us! The old covenant highlights the holiness and majesty of the God they had seen work wonders before their eyes, yet these two new priests decided to go beyond the covenant and do whatever seemed right to them. Are we that different today? 

Though we stand before the Lord in the glorious grace given by God through faith in Jesus, we are wise to take seriously what the Bible says to do and what it says not to do. Jesus’ disciple-making command to His followers wasn’t just about baptizing people, but also teaching them to obey *everything* He commanded. The small details of faithful obedience still matter! New life in Christ isn’t simply about uplifting experiences on Sunday mornings, but deep and sacrificial obedience to Christ every day and in every way. 

“The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.”
– Psalm 28:7

Yes, the Lord is truly our strength and shield! He provides all we need to withstand every challenge or trial in a manner than brings glory and honor to Him. Unfortunately, for most of us, we must first discover the limits of our own strength before we learn to rely on the Lord as our strength and shield.

Even when we cheerfully claim this verse for ourselves, we often continue trying to endure with our teeth gritted and by our own strength. We celebrate this truth, but often fail to truly live it. Too often we struggle to let go of control over things we truly can’t control (our health, other people, our circumstances, world events, etc.) We continue to flail away in our own strength, while blaming God for not showing up.

This isn’t how God works as our strength and shield! He doesn’t make us mighty. He reveals His mightiness through our weakness! The Lord’s protection is made visible in our brokenness. It’s usually only when we finally reach the point of total surrender that God’s limitless power really begins to flow through us. As He told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” As a follower of Jesus, lean into the strength and power of the Holy Spirit living within you. Take ALL your agonies and struggles to the Lord in prayer. Stop trying to grind it out in your own strength and cry out to Jesus to strengthen you for the ordeal. Keep battling, but do so in God’s power rather than your own. Don’t hold onto control that rightly belongs to God. Trust in Him. Trust in His power. Release your grip and give thanks to Him instead.