And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. Mark 14:36

Life is full of challenges. By definition the word "challenge" means to make a rival claim to or threaten someone's hold on (a position). Just as there is a real God, there is a real devil, and he is always putting in work trying to challenge our position in God. He is a bonified "hater" by every use of the word, who has forever lost his position in the "Beloved", and because of this unretractable fact he tries to make our process to staying in the will of God as arduous and difficult as possible. He is the accuser of the brethren, the tormentor of our souls and he wants to suck all of the joy and happiness out of the life of the believer because he knows that we have an opportunity that he will never again enjoy. The word "challenge" also means to invite (someone) to do something that one thinks will be difficult or impossible or to test the abilities of something or someone. God, in all of His Sovereignty, will  also allow us to face a number of challenges. Challenges that we often think are to difficult for us to bare or accomplish and in most cases, are challenges that we never signed up for or got to vote on. He allows these test and challenges to come into our lives not to be mean and heartless but just as a refiner's gold has to go thru the refiner's fire to burn out all of the impurities buried in the gold...so to our faith must be tried and tested to burn out the impurities of our heart and our faith, love, commitment, and devotion to the One True God. I Peter 1:6-9 says:


 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.


Now don't get me wrong...I'm not nobody's super saint. I am the last person to act like Jesus 1st cousin when facing challenges because the truth to the whole matter is I can be a 1st class trip when facing the challenges of my life! As a matter of fact, I am facing some  of my greatest challenges right now as we speak. I am being challenged and tested in my money, my marriage, my mothering, my ministry, and my move (I'm begging God to be geographically relocated!)... I am carrying the burden of a rebellious child who also suffers from mental illness and who continually puts his life in harms way and who is now presently incarcerated, I am dealing with generational family dysfunction from every side to the 25th power, and on top of all that I've just received notice that two of my younger children will not be allowed to attend the Christian Private School they were receiving a free ride to attend (are you serious...what believer gets put out of the "God" school!)...all of this while striving to focus and complete my Bachelor's degree! But in spite of all that, I am desperately searching my soul and spirit for the NEVERTHELESS. In spite of whatever preceded! I still dare to believe God! And there is no greater example of this type of resiliency, this type of tenacity, this type of perseverance, than that of the Christ! 


Jesus Christ is the blueprint, the compass, and guide to what a life that is pleasing to God is suppose to look like. All though He is 100% God...He is, at the same time 100% human...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). As any great parent would do...He lead by example. He became a visual aid for humanity to copy and refer to when living this thing called life and the challenges it brings. For the first time in the history of mankind the Creator became one with the created. Though He knew no sin, He knew what it felt like to be tempted to sin. He was quite familiar with the challenges of the human condition. He knew what it felt like to be tired, hungry, and thirsty. Though as God and owned everything, He had no address of His own and constantly surrounded Himself with the downtrodden and impoverished. He knew what it felt like to be lied on and hated...and not in all sincerity for what He had done...but for who He proclaimed and demonstrated that He was...the Christ, the promised Messiah, God's only Begotten Son (most of my trouble stems not from what I have done, but who I proclaim to be in God. I don't just want to be free...but I'm crazy enough to go out there to set the captives free as well!) He knew the burden of how it felt to be lonely, abandoned, rejected, and at this time of the text...betrayed...and not betrayed by just anyone...but by His own people. Someone he loved who was close to Him. At this time in the text, Jesus knew that the time and hour had come for prophecy to be fulfilled. He knew that the hour had come for His purpose to be fulfilled. He knew the time had come for Him to become the sacrificial offering to end all sacrifices to satisfy God's wrath against sin and He knew that this cup that He had to drink from was one of the greatest challenges He'd ever have to face as "God" in human flesh. He knew that aside from enduring the greatest mental, emotional, and psychological torment any human could bare, the physical torment He was about to face was unfathomable...so much to the point that His body went into physical shock and He began to sweat drops of blood. He knew He was facing the mother of all challenges. 

This is where I am forced to stick a pin and take note to how Jesus handled His challenging circumstances in the Garden of Gethsemane (not that my little issues are in any way comparable to what He is presently experiencing) but I deem it necessary to take note to how He handled the pressure. Even though He had brought people with Him to watch His back as well as pray with Him in His time of need...He was still left alone in His crisis because every time He turned around...those bammas fell asleep on the job! I am so glad to know that Jesus Christ can identify with my hurt and frustration when I find myself in a hard place and it seems like all my friends, family, loved ones, prayer partners ect...have vacated the premises! He was in a hard place, facing the challenge of His life, with no one to stand with Him to help Him shoulder the burden, and sick with grief and the beauty of this is, even though He could've found every justifiable reason to trip (like I would have), He didn't...He prayed. He prayed past the anguish of His flesh and the torment of His soul, until He tapped into the NEVERTHELESS that was embedded in His Spirit. I Peter 2:20-23 says:

Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. 


I too, want to replicate Christ in that respect when facing the challenges of my life. I too, am confessing to God today that this cup that I am presently drinking from is bitter, its nasty! It by no means taste good to me or feels good to me. I will never be pretentious in trying to portray that I would've chosen this cup for myself because I am so super spiritual in my endeavors to pick up my cross and follow the Christ...BUT...what I will portray and demonstrate thru theses challenges is the NEVERTHELESS. I know that if He wanted to, He could take this cup (theses challenges) from me, but more than I want Him to take this cup from me...I want the vindication of His glory to be revealed thru every challenge He allows me to face. 


So I say to You today Father...not my will...but let Your will be done and manifest in my life in spite of the cost because I am convinced that no hit I could take for You could EVER surpass the hit You have taken for me!