Have you ever had a week, where you just glided along effortlessly? In those moments, I feel like a boat on a placid lake, barely breaking the glassy surface. It happens.
But not always.
Sometimes life is like white-water rafting. Without a life preserver. Without a paddle. Without a boat. And there’s a big waterfall at the end!
Ever been there? I have. I’m guessing you have as well.
These are the moments that remind us of one very simple truth. Life in this fallen world is full of hardship. As Job so wryly states, “For man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7)
This brings us to an important question. How do we navigate difficult days? Do we pull the covers over our heads and pretend they don’t exist? Do we scream in frustration? Do we beat our pillows senseless?
Or is there a better way? Let’s find out.
Jesus: The Perfect Example of Endurance
Jesus, the sinless Son of God, experienced sorrow and distress. This should be a comfort to us. Matthew 26:36–46 gives us a window into one of the most intense moments of His earthly life. It was the Garden of Gethsemane, His time of communion with His Father before His hair-raising trip to the cross. Here, we learn five crucial lessons about enduring difficult days.
1. Seek Solitude Immediately
When Jesus faced His darkest hour, He sought solitude. “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’” (Matt. 26:36) While His disciples were nearby, He intentionally stepped away to be alone with the Father.
Often, in times of trouble, we are tempted to surround ourselves with people. While community is valuable, there are moments when we need to step away, quiet the noise, and seek God alone. Jesus models this by withdrawing further into the garden. “And He went a little beyond them.” (Matt. 26:39)
Yet, solitude is not meant to be a permanent condition. We should never live there. Even the sinless Son of God returned to His disciples. Too much isolation can foster self-centeredness.
But let’s not lose the lesson. Godly solitude fosters deeper communion with the Lord. Solitude benefits us when we use it to bring about God’s plan to His glory, just like Jesus did.
2. Meet with God Primarily
Who did Jesus go to first? Did He decide to hang out with His friends? Did He organize a going-away party to drown out the rigors of the following day? Nope. The Bible tells us what Jesus did and who He went to.
“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed.” (Matt. 26:39)
His immediate reaction wasn’t complaining, strategizing, or distracting Himself. He immediately sought out the one Person who could help— His Father. He sought intimacy with God.
This is the response we must cultivate. In times of distress, our first move should be toward the Father, not away from Him. God isn’t our last resort. He is our anchor to weather whatever storms may come.
3. Pray Honestly and Fervently
Jesus did not hold back His emotions before the Father. “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.“ (Matt. 26:39)
He acknowledged His human struggle with the situation. Don’t get me wrong. He didn’t shy from His responsibility. He also didn’t fake it until He made it. He admitted His difficulty with the situation. He was honest in prayer.
God wants us to be honest in our prayers. We don’t need to pretend we’re okay when we’re not. God doesn’t expect us to be “inhuman.” He wants us to admit our limitations and take them to Him. He’s the only One who can truly take care of us when we really need it.
Just one more thought before we move on. There is a balance. Notice how Jesus expressed what He wanted but ultimately submitted to the Father’s will. More on this later.
4. Surround Yourself with Others Readily
Though Jesus sought solitude, He also brought His closest disciples to be near Him. “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me” (Matt. 26:38). He didn’t face His trial without other people around Him.
It is certainly true that He went to His Father first. He prayed to the Source of all hope. At the same time, even Jesus, the perfect Son of God, had human companionship in His most difficult days.
We are not meant to endure difficult days in isolation. God has given us the church—a body of believers to strengthen and encourage us. Scripture repeatedly emphasizes bearing one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2). How can we bear the burdens of others or have assistance with ours if we don’t have others around us?
Just one more thought, and then we’ll move on. Jesus was selective with His human companionship. He chose Peter, James, and John. He chose His disciples. He chose those who had a like mind and heart. He chose those who followed Him faithfully.
We need to be careful in this way as well. We must seek godly companions who will pray with us, encourage us, and point us to Christ. This means we chose Christians. Only our brothers and sisters can truly understand what we are going through. Only they can help us overcome difficult days.
5. Resign Yourself to the Father’s Plan Ultimately
So what was Jesus’ ultimate response to suffering? It was complete surrender.
He didn’t resist the Father’s will. Instead, He embraced it. “Your will be done.” (Matt. 26:42) By the time Judas arrived, Jesus was resolute. “Behold, the hour is at hand.” (Matt. 26:45)
Imagine that! Even in His greatest trial, He was resigned to the will of His Father. Even though He would soon endure the rigors of the cross. Even though He would be ridiculed and spat upon. Even though He would endure my sin and yours, bearing it on His very shoulders. Christ still trusted His Father.
Oh, that this would be our attitude and commitment. “Your will be done. Behold, the hour is at hand.“
This is our greatest challenge in suffering. Trust doesn’t come naturally for us as humans. Yet as believers, we must trust that God’s plan is good, even when it exerts a little (Or a lot!) of pain.
The cross was the ultimate display of God’s wisdom and love. Christ endured the agony of Gethsemane and the horrors of Golgotha so that we could be redeemed. If He could trust His Father in that, surely, we can trust our Father in our most difficult days.
So What?
Too often, we react wrongly to suffering. We grumble, doubt, or even grow bitter. But complaining is nothing less than faithlessness. Israel’s constant murmuring in the wilderness was a rejection of God’s sovereignty (Exod. 16:8) and the opposite reaction to Christ’s. Too often we look more like faithless Israel then the faithful Son of God.
Instead, we must emulate Christ, who entrusted Himself fully to the Father. He is our true example. He is our hope in difficult days.
Our faith, then, doesn’t demand that God give us explanations or favorable circumstances. Our faith rests in the goodness of God.
Jesus, in His darkest hour, exemplified this for us. He didn’t resist the Father’s will. He surrendered to it, knowing that His suffering would lead to our salvation.
What’s Next?
Difficult days will come. That is certain. But we are not left without hope. Jesus has shown us the way. Seek solitude, meet with God, pray honestly, lean on godly companions, and ultimately trust in the Father’s perfect plan.
When trials come, like Jesus, let’s say with confidence, “Your will be done.“ And just like Jesus, let’s find our strength, peace, and endurance in Him alone.
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