In the Garden With Jesus - a Lent Journey for TeensSample

So, picture this: Jesus and the crew are facing a sticky situation, and someone's like, "Should we throw down with our swords?" Jesus either stayed silent or was like, "Nah, hold up!" But guess what? One of the crew still goes for it and chops off a dude's ear. Jesus shuts that down real quick with a "No more of this!" He even fixes the guy's ear – total boss move.

Now, think about us. We're out here asking God for guidance, but then we're like, "Yeah, thanks, God, but I’ve got this," and we take charge of our lives. We think we know what's best, hoping everything will magically work out.

Cue CS Lewis dropping some wisdom bombs: "Give up yourself, find your real self. Lose your life, save it. Let go of your ambitions daily, and in the end, you'll find eternal life." Basically, surrender everything, and you'll get way more than you bargained for.

But, in real talk, we often try to run the show ourselves, only checking in with God when we hit a snag. The invite here? Toss our lives into God's hands, discover our true selves in His vibe. Paul's on the same wave, saying, "I've laid down my life to pick up life with Christ." It's like leveling up – handing over the control to the big guy upstairs and finding a life beyond your wildest dreams.

Exercise:

Ask Jesus to make you aware of what you are taking up in your own hands and surrender it to His.

Prayer:

I ask for an awareness of Your work in my life.