Recently I spent 8 days at the Lakehouse with Jenny and the kids. Relaxing enough, right? Wrong! I had a final project for one of my doctoral classes due on the last day of our trip. And if you are sharp enough to infer based on the title of this blog, I was a jerk almost the entire trip.
It's not that I'm a procrastinator, and if you know me, you know that I'm not a perfectionist, but there was something deep inside me almost the entire vacation that overwhelmed my thoughts and took captive my easy-going personality: STRESS.
I was so concerned about this final project, even the time I did spend with my kids wasn't enjoyable because I felt the suffocating pressure to see the project's completion. This is bad.
Reflecting on our getaway, I found one reoccurring theme, I was a jerk. And after a revelation like that, I was encouraged to find Jesus on the night of his arrest in Luke 22:
"Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
**************************************************
There is an actual medical condition in times of intense anxiety that individuals will actually sweat blood (as we see here with Jesus). And when considering Jesus's foreknowledge of what was to come (his brutal and humiliating crucifixion, not to mention the recipient of God's wrath), I get the fact that Jesus was under an incredible amount of pressure. But what we find with Jesus is a man who trusts in the promises of God and even in agony, "he prayed more earnestly."
Wow.
When was the last time, under a deadline, or in a pressure situation, or even in agony did we really stop and talk to God? The Bible tells us to let our requests be made known to God, but I wonder what percentage of us hauls around our burdens leaving a trail of relational carnage behind our 18-wheeler of stress (license plate: "JERK")?
I suppose the next time I will do my best to follow my Savior's example and I want to encourage you to do the same (our families will appreciate it).
No comments:
Post a Comment