Lion + LambSýnishorn

Prayer: Father, give me the humility to submit my life to Your direction. Provide the strength I need to walk the path You have laid before me. I know that You do not waste any trial or any triumph in my life, so give me an eternal perspective as I consider my past, present, and future circumstances. Transform me more into the image of Your Son, so that I can follow His example of obedience in the face of difficulty.

The Lion’s Submission

Obedience is difficult when it does not align with our desires. We don’t want to be nice to our brother or sister when they are being mean. We don’t want to complete a major assignment when it takes time away from our other plans or leisure. We don’t want to follow traffic laws when they will make us late for our next appointment. Simply put, the difficulty of obedience is determined by the direction it leads.

When Jesus Christ offered himself up as a sacrifice for humanity’s sin, he was performing the greatest act of obedience this world has ever seen. In Matthew 26:36-46, we can see that his obedience to his Father’s plan was intimidating, to say the least. However, in his moment of being “anguished and distressed” as well as “deeply grieved”, Jesus placed his anguish and distress at the Father’s feet, affirming that he would put the Father’s will above his own worries. 

The example of Jesus Christ’s obedience is especially convicting as it is presented alongside his disciples’ inability to sacrifice their desire for sleep in order to obey Jesus’ charge to stay awake and pray. In reading this passage, we cannot help but ask ourselves, “how much of my own desires, comforts, or plans am I willing to submit to my God for the sake of obeying his commands?” When obedience requires sacrifice and results in suffering, am I willing to submit?

Look in the Word:

1. Look at Matthew 26:17-75. What actions do you see performed by Peter over the course of this significant night? Where and why do his actions contradict his aspirations?
2. What are all the ways you see Jesus sacrifice his own comfort in this passage?  
3. How do Jesus’ interactions with his followers differ from those with his Father?

What’s Next?

1. Spend some time asking God to convict you of what you are currently unwilling to submit under his authority. It could be a role, a relationship, a resource, etc.
2. Write out the thing(s) God placed upon your heart, and write out a practical way you can submit it to his direction.
3. Share this plan with someone you trust, and ask that person to follow up with you in one or two weeks to see how your plan is proceeding.