He said, “Abba! Father! You can do anything. Take this cup of suffering away from me. But let your will be done rather than mine.”
Mark 14:36
Nothing is wrong with asking God to take your suffering from you and to give you peace. But in the same breath you have to let him know that if he doesn’t do what you ask, you still want whatever he wants. That’s a hard statement to make, but that’s what you say whenever you pray, as Jesus did, “Let your will be done” (Mark 14:36).
God has a reason for everything he allows in your life, even the suffering part. That’s why we are commanded to be happy when we suffer (see James 1:2). Jesus knew what kind of suffering was soon to come for him, and it overwhelmed him to the point of sweating blood (see Luke 22:44). Nothing has been that hard for you, ever! But let Jesus be your example, knowing that even if your suffering is almost unbearable, you can trust that God’s will for you in that suffering is the best will there is. When you are willing to suffer as Christ was willing to suffer, you will gain more faith, hope, and endurance than you could get any other way.
Suffering isn’t your enemy or the worst thing that could happen to you. In fact, it’s not even inconsistent with happiness. If it was impossible for happiness and suffering to coexist, then God would be a liar (see 1 Peter 1:6). No, suffering has tricked you into fearing it. The truth is that suffering isn’t something that has to trample you like a wild horse but is something that you can climb on top of and ride to freedom. Suffering doesn’t have to overwhelm you, but it can help you grow and make you a whole lot better.