We are often told that we should be glad to have our trials. But what if we aren’t?
Photo by Lukas Neasi
I love the song “Thy Will Be Done” from this year’s 2017 Mutual album Ask. The song is a psalm to God showing humble submission to the Father’s will. The lyrics are written in such a way that either Jesus Christ or I could be the one singing, which adds a unique perspective.
Listening to this song helped me make a connection I hadn’t made before about Christ’s plea to Heavenly Father in Gethsemane: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). This classic scripture shows how willing Christ was to suffer for us and how obedient he was to Heavenly Father.
Though I’d heard this scripture many times, I’d never paid enough attention to the words “remove this cup from me.” Even Christ had a moment in which he did not want the trials that were ahead of him. He knew his role in the plan of salvation, and yet Christ still asked God to take the bitter cup away from him.
And that was okay.
Lately, I’ve been hearing more and more phrases such as “be grateful for adversity,” “find joy in trials,” and “grin and bear hardship.” I started thinking that I had to approach every trial with a smile and a “thank you,” and if I didn’t feel happy about my trials, I wasn’t living life right.
Now, I know that’s not the case. God didn’t condemn Christ for not being excited about his trial. Similarly, I don’t think God judges me for taking a sip from my own bitter cup and grimacing at the taste. It’s okay to not enjoy my trials.
Not wanting my trials doesn’t mean that I’m unworthy. I can still accept them with faith, like Christ did. In the end, Christ was willing to put his own desires aside and say, as in in the song, “Whatever comes, Thy will be done.” I also can and will choose God’s will over mine.
Even though the trials I face won’t always be my will, I can still say to God,
“Though I don’t always understand
What thou hast willed, what thou hast planned
I’ll leave it all inside thy hands
And trust thy will until we meet again.”
Listen to “Thy Will Be Done” and other songs specifically written for the youth by going to LDS Youth Music.
Source: LDS Youth Music
—Christina Crosland, Mormon Insights
feature image from lds media
Find more insights
Read the article “Mutual Album Spotlight: Thy Will Be Done” to learn what Kyle Vorkink, who sings “Thy Will Be Done,” wrote about his experiences related to the song.
Find out more about submitting your will to God’s will by reading “Waiting upon the Lord: Thy Will Be Done,” a general conference talk by Elder Robert D. Hales.
Even though it’s okay to not want our trials when they come, we can still learn to appreciate them. Discover how by listening to President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk “Grateful in Any Circumstances.”