Look Beyond the Ask

It’s Holy Week—a time historically marked by pain, expectation, and ultimately, resurrection. As my pastor mentioned in Sunday’s message, it’s the Super Bowl for Christians.

I’ve grown up in church and have attended many Easter services, but this year I find myself drawn to a specific thought about the cross—a truth that I believe can give us strength in our present struggles.

Life is hard at times. We all face moments that feel heavy and overwhelming. In those moments, we have a choice: we can bury our heads in the sand, or we can look to Jesus for guidance on how to respond.

Knowing that He experienced life in human form—just like we do—gives me great encouragement and hope as I navigate my own challenges.

“For even in His suffering, He saw to the other side, knowing this was our redemption—Jesus, for our sake You died.”

I love the truth behind these words.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked for the cup of crucifixion to be taken from Him. In Matthew 26, we see the depth of His anguish as He faced what was ahead. Scripture notes that he was experiencing such great stress and anxiety that he sweated drops of blood. This was extreme anguish.

In his humanity, Jesus felt the heaviness of what His Father was asking Him to do. He inquired about another solution, and knowing he was God in human form, he could have found another way—yet something kept him obedient to the Father’s path.

It was in his focus, not on the present hardship, but on the future reward.

I love the truth that in the example of Jesus, we see something deeply human: sometimes what God asks of us doesn’t align with our preferences.

Like Jesus, we may ask for another way—one that costs less, hurts less, or feels like a lighter lift. As we fix our eyes on what is right before us, the task at hand, we may become overwhelmed with the pressure of it all. We may only be able to see the current sacrifice.

That’s where Jesus found himself—but thank God he didn’t stop there.

Instead, he communicated to the Lord that he wanted His will to be fulfilled more than he desired his own comfort.

That is our model.

Obedience must be our primary response, and that can be quite difficult. Therefore, we must do as Jesus did—looking past the present ask to the eternal payoff.

In that moment, Jesus recognized the magnitude of the sacrifice before Him—but He also saw the greater reward.

He understood the power of His “yes.”

He saw you. He saw me. He saw our desperate need for salvation. His choice wasn’t about His comfort; it was about love. He looked beyond the cost and focused on what would be gained for those He loved.

I believe the same is true for us.

God often stretches us. In this season, I’ve felt Him refining my character and asking me to trust Him at a deeper level. It’s uncomfortable, and I find myself asking—just like Jesus did—if there might be an easier way.

But what I’m learning is this:

When I shift my perspective beyond the present moment and focus on the good that will come through obedience—not just for me, but for those I love—I find the strength and motivation to keep going.

Perspective is powerful.

If I focus only on what I have to give up, the choice becomes easy—I won’t push through. The sacrifice won’t seem worth it.

But when I fix my eyes on what can be gained through obedience, I’m reminded that the cost is never wasted.

This is a spiritual principle.

We are made in the image of Christ. That means we are called, like Him, to look beyond the present moment and trust in the eternal impact of our “yes.”

Our choices carry weight—not just for today, but for the future. Often, the decisions we make now will influence not only our lives, but the lives of generations to come.

We cannot base our obedience solely on how it affects us in the moment. To do so is selfish and short-sighted. It is a weak and cowardly response that will leave a person stagnant and ineffective.

Moses prayed in Psalm 90 that we would learn to number our days. We only have so many to live, and to steward them from a place of laziness is irresponsible and ungrateful.

Jesus chose the hard road.

Our lives would look much different had He chosen the easy way out.

In our present, we would have zero opportunity for a relationship with God. We would not have the priceless gift of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us on this earth, and the hope of eternity would be nothing but a pipe dream.

Praise the Lord He chose to look beyond His present.

In the same way, our future—and the futures of those who come after us—are too precious to cheat obedience today.

If God is asking something of you today that feels too costly for your personal comfort, let me challenge you to look beyond the ask. Think about how your life, and the lives of those you love, could benefit from your obedience.

Aren’t you worth it? Aren’t they worth it?

This Easter, let’s approach life in a way that honors the One who gave it all for us.

Let’s choose to say yes even when it’s hard.Let’s fix our eyes on all of the blessings and benefits that will come from our willingness to be obedient.Let’s cease living lazy lives and truly take every opportunity to invest in the days we have been gifted.

Let’s look beyond the ask, and say yes.