Humility and Resolve

“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.’ Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.” [1]

When Jesus considered what the Father was leading Him to do for others, He asked if the task could be taken from Him, but ultimately surrendered Himself to His Father’s will.

Jim Collins wrote in the Harvard Business Review: “The most powerfully transformative executives have a paradoxical mixture of personal humility and professional will. They are timid and ferocious. Shy and fearless. They are rare—and unstoppable.” [2]

During His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus showed humility as He kneeled to the ground. He showed humility as He did not seek friends to rescue Him from what to many would be an unreasonable expectation. He showed humility as in recognition of His weakness, He prayed, “Take this cup away from Me.”

The troops were coming...
A betrayer had betrayed Him
Arresters would arrest Him
False accusers would falsely accuse Him
Mockers would mock Him
Whippers would whip Him
Executioners would execute Him

Jesus showed resolve when He prayed, “Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Ferocious, fearless, unstoppable! Like a soldier rushing into a battle, Jesus showed unswerving commitment to the desired outcome. He defied every influence to divert Him from His calling.

Jesus proved that "when we are alone with God, the forces that would drain our will are diminished of their strength. God purifies and strengthens our choices. He who demands the most surrender of our will is the One who wants and makes our will to be its strongest and best. " [3]

An angel appeared to Jesus from heaven to strengthen Him. The strengthening angel from the Father needs to be factored into any decision to go forward with God’s will and not our own.

Annie J. Flint lost her parents when she was just a child. Both her foster parents also passed away. Her budding career as a pianist was cut short by crippling arthritis. Yet, the Lord gave her grace to write inspirational songs to encourage others. I especially like the third verse of her song entitled, “He Giveth More Grace.”

“When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.”

[1] Luke 22:41-43
[2] Harvard Business Review, January 2001, Jim Collins
[3] John Ortberg on The Strong-Willed Leader