Sunday I talked a little about "the cup" which Jesus had to drink in order to do God's will. It was a difficult cup; a cup full of suffering and pain, which lead to His death, and culminated in His victorious resurrection from the dead. It was a "cup" that only Jesus could drink because only Jesus was the eternal Son of God in human flesh, and only Jesus was without sin.
This got me thinking about what that "cup" means for you and I. Jesus told James and John that they would indeed drink from this "cup" but that would not guarantee a high position in Jesus' kingdom. (see Matthew 20:23)
So do all followers of Jesus have to drink from this "cup"?
In short, yes we do. However, I feel I need to elaborate on that a little so that we can see clearly what that means for us.
First, we drink from this "cup" because we all feel the effects of sin in this broken world. We see broken relationships, we hear people criticize what they do not understand, we can even be persecuted as followers of Jesus suffering greatly for the gospel. In this sense, we all drink from this "cup".
Second, the "cup" is God's will. In Matthew 26:39, Jesus prays, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup to be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will." And again in Matthew 26:42, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done."
Jesus had to drink the "cup" in order to fulfill God's will for Him. In the same way, God has a will for each of us. He desires that we seek His kingdom first and seek to know and do what is right in each circumstance. In addition, He has "created us in Jesus Christ to do good works, which (He) prepared in advance for us to do".
In this sense, I believe God has a unique plan for each of us. He created us and has now re-created us in Christ for a purpose. Finding that purpose ought to be at the forefront of our minds, as we seek God's kingdom and His righteousness.
So what is God's plan for you? What unique skills, gifts, abilities, experiences, etc. has God given you to help you understand His will for you?
Last week, I watched a sermon from Pastor Bill Hybels on video. In the sermon, he talked about everyone discovering our own "Popeye" moment - "I've had all I can stands, and I can't stands no more." That moment of "holy discontent" when you know something has to be done, and you believe God is calling you to do it.
So what is your "Popeye" moment? What has God laid on your heart to do? I encourage you to find out, and then do something about it! Then if you are willing share it, so that the rest of us can join you as we journey together along the Way ...
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