John 12:27-28
“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father save me from this hour?’ But if it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father glorify your name.”
Jesus said these words as he was about to be crucified on the cross. I can’t even imagine the fear he must have experienced knowing the suffering he was about to experience, yet Jesus kept his mind on God. He did not ask God to save him, because he realized his suffering was in God’s plan. I think there is definitely a lesson to be learned from this.
Rather than asking God to save us from troubles, maybe we should instead ask him to glorify his name in the midst of troubles. Like with Jesus’s sufferings, they sometimes have a purpose. Not only is it important to keep God in heart while suffering, but it is also important to realize there is a silver lining because pain and trials carve our paths.
John 12:43
“For they preferred human praise to the glory of God.”
This small verse pinpoints one of the biggest stressors to our relationship with Christ. God’s glory is totally and completely infinite, yet it becomes overshadowed by the need for human praise. I cannot count how many times my Earthly relationships have created a fog over my spiritual path. I mark in my bible with post-its labeled “perspective,” because reminders are necessary to putting an end to that habit. It is absolutely insane that I need to be reminded to not let human distractions effect my spirituality. But this seems to be an issue with many Christians. I personally think the solution is to maintain a routine that incorporates devotion to Christ. Essentially, establishing habits that take the place of reminders.
John 12:46
“I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.”
How can negativity exist in our lives when we possess knowledge of Jesus Christ? How can know that God sent his son to save our souls, yet still allow darkness in our hearts? We are all loved flawlessly and unconditionally. No matter the number of hardships we face nothing could ever take away Christ’s love – it’s a constant. But positivity on Earth is far from constant. I think that if we could bring to mind the fullness of God’s love, we would hardly ever feel pain. It’s just important to remember that although people on Earth’s love is fragile, God’s love is unwavering.
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