Jesus said in John 12:27-28, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
What do we do when we are troubled? In Jesus’ dire hour on His journey towards the cross, His soul was troubled. But amidst the struggle of His humanity, the compass of His troubled soul remained steadfast – to glorify God!
Patrick Morley, a prolific Christian writer, says there are four kinds of Christians. I’ve summarised them below:
1. “I’m going to do what I want, regardless of what God wants.”
These are carnal Christians who say, “I don’t care. I won’t give God what He wants.” They have no faith.
2. “If God gives me what I want, I will give God what He wants.”
These are bargaining Christians who say, “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch Yours.” They have dysfunctional faith.
3. “I give God what He wants so He will give me what I want.”
These are manipulative Christians who say, “I can direct God into giving me what I want.” They have immature faith.
4. “I give God what He wants, regardless of what I want, because He knows what’s best for me.”
These are mature Christians who say, “Even if He does not give me what I want, I will trust Him.” They have surrendered faith.
However, I notice that there’s a theological flaw in the last thinking. It is still fundamentally anthropocentric – “what’s best for me”.
When Jesus surrendered to God, in spite of His troubled soul in that moment of deepest struggle, His thinking was not, “I give God what He wants, regardless of what I want, because He knows what’s best for Me.” It was rather, “I give God what He wants, regardless of what I want, because He knows what’s best for His glory!”
May our prayers rise beyond “Father, save me!” to “Father, glorify Your name!” When that time comes, our troubled souls wi ll find true rest.
- Senior Pastor Lawrence Khong