COURAGE Pt. 3

Wow, I didn't expect to do so many blog posts on courage, haha! But these are some of the things that I have been learning recently, I guess, so here goes! I am really grateful that God has been teaching me about courage because I feel that it is something I somewhat lack. Him teaching me about courage is an answer to prayer. :)

As I said in one of my past blog posts, Christ is courageous. One of the places where this was taught to me recently is in the account of when He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane. Before being condemned and publicly crucified, Jesus Christ went into a garden to pray. There, He took upon Himself all of the pains, sicknesses, temptations, afflictions, and sins of His people--of all people who ever lived or would live upon the earth. He felt excruciating pain and sorrow and agony that did not belong to Him. He was literally taking upon Himself the eternal punishment for our sins.

As Isaiah prophetically said,

"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:

the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

(Isaiah 53:4-5, emphasis added)

It was awful. Surely no one would desire to go through something like that. In fact, the Savior Himself did not want to. He plead with His Father, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me..." (Matthew 26:39). He was starting to grasp just how big was the bitter cup He was being asked to swallow on behalf of all mankind, God's children, His brothers and sisters. He was feeling the weight of worlds without end on His shoulders.

That is scary.

But what did He say?

"Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

That is courage.

Just like us, Christ was confronted with enticing temptations. Just like us, Christ was faced with heavy trials. And just like us, there were some things that Christ was asked to do that were hard, really hard, and that He did not want to do.

He asked the Father if it would be okay if He did not do them. But, when the will of God for the good of His work and children was otherwise, Christ submitted to the will of His Father. He did the hard thing.

Courage is not being unafraid. It isn't desiring to experience pain, temptation, and suffering. It is doing the hard thing with faith, hope, and charity, even though you do not want to.

Christ was courageous, and we can be too.

And because Christ was courageous, when we are afraid or are confronted with a trial, burden, sin, or temptation that is too hard for us, He can help us through it. He literally experienced it. He has perfect empathy. He will help us through it.

As Jeffrey R. Holland, an apostle of Jesus Christ, put it,

"The Savior reminds us that He has 'graven [us] upon the palms of [His] hands.' Considering the incomprehensible cost of the Crucifixion and Atonement, I promise you He is not going to turn His back on us now. When He says to the poor in spirit, 'Come unto me,' He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up. He knows it because He has walked it. He knows the way because He is the way."

And just like an angel was sent to comfort Christ, we can pray to God for angels to comfort and strengthen us in our burdens. We are never alone. Even when we are afraid or have a heavy burden, we can bear it with courage and with Christ, because He first carried the weight of it.

Love you all. Let's work on courage together. It isn't easy, but it's possible. You made a courageous choice on coming to this earth to experience trials. You can make it through this life with courage, too.

Love,

Abby

Because of Him, we can have courage. Watch this beautiful video that expresses what is possible because of Him.