And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying, so that you will not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to say in reply to Him.
What is an area you feel very confident in? This may be a certain subject matter or the practice of a specific skill. We often pride ourselves on the things we can do well on our own. Most of us desire to be independent in this way. But what about when life begins to feel out of control? Our best independence and even a positive attitude cannot stop hard things from happening or fix the bad things that have happened in the past.
As Jesus prayed, He gave the disciples instruction to stay awake. He was clear and yet the disciples could not keep their eyes open. Jesus’s response to their sleeping gives us important insight. He said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (v. 38). In this brief statement, He reminded the disciples that even this small request for obedience was outside of their own strength. Even in their best efforts, with clear instructions, and when their friend needed them the most, they failed on their own. Life in Christ is not built on what we can do but on what God can do. Through His Spirit and strength, He will equip you for daily living as you continually depend on Him.
- What are some of the things you depend on God for daily?
- What is the difference between depending on the flesh and depending on the Spirit? How do we learn dependence on the Spirit?
- Pray and ask God to grow your dependence on Him.
