The Anchor in the Dark Night of the Soul

I treasure the record of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. Here, Jesus faced the tremendous trial of accepting the cup of crucifixion in private before the event took place in public. We see how Jesus went through the dark night of the soul as a human rather than as an all-surpassing God, though He was both.

The weight of crucifixion was so immense that His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. In this state of tremendous agony, He went to the Father and honestly asked, “If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” When experiencing an inner conflict, Jesus responded very differently than the first humans, Adam and Eve.

How could Jesus act this way? Rather than taking His way, He went to God honestly instead. He could do this because He trusted in His Heavenly Father. Because of this trust, Jesus continued His prayer with, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed three times. He was completely honest with Himself and with God. He prayed until His troubled soul was settled and He had regained peace and fully embraced the Father’s will for Him.

Think: Have you experienced a trial that was overwhelming to your soul? What was the circumstance? How did you feel and respond? What were the outcomes? Reflect on Jesus’ moment in Gethsemane again. Does it bring any new light on how we can go through a trying situation in the future? Does it bring new perspectives on how a trial handled in God’s ways could bring forth impactful outcomes?

Pray: Take a moment to sit with Jesus in Gethsemane. Allow God to speak to you. Then, thank Jesus for embracing the Father’s will for Him. Thank Him for showing us how living as God’s sons and daughters was possible during every moment of His life on Earth, including the dark night of the soul.

Respond: This week, take anything that causes an inner conflict in you, big or small, and bring it to God. Pray to seek God’s will on it. Let trust in God be your anchor in this process. Be completely honest with yourself and with God. Pray until you have gained clarity and peace about the situation.

Author: Ludan Huang, Chinese Translator + B4Church Culture Leader