"Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, 'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.' Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground." Luke 22:41-44
Jesus sweated blood in Gethsemane--and that was after an angel strengthened him.
To feel deeply a mortal threat is part of our humanity--the humanity our Savior shares with us.
And to pray and receive strength from God and his angels is also part of our shared humanity.
We do not need to generate strength of our own. When we need it, God will give us the strength we need to stand, so let's ask for it.
Courage is a virtue. It comes from God. Pray for it without ceasing.
There are threats in this world that are real. There are principalities and powers that are strong and that we must struggle against.
The power of sin is strong and tends to weaken and enslave everyone. But God is stronger and is strongest in the midst of weakness.
For a Christian, struggling does not mean getting a gun and shooting someone. It means speaking the truth and holding your face to the consequences, as Jesus did.
Let's follow his example.
Christ's Kingdom doesn't work like the world works.
His Kingdom is more real and enduring than the empires that seem so powerful today. The empires of this world force others to suffer and are at last swept away. But in Christ's Kingdom his people, strengthened by God, suffer willingly and conquer everlastingly.
