Just a short thought this morning.
Today is what is called Ash Wednesday by the religious world. It is considered the “kickoff” to Easter. 40 days lie between today and Resurrection Sunday. This 40 day period is called Lent. I was raised in a church tradition that did not observe, teach or practice Lent. I remember being in a high school study hall and seeing a teacher, Mr. Bano, with a smudge on his forehead. I was clueless and almost- ALMOST- said something to him about the smudge of dirt on his forehead. Yeah…like I said…clueless.
Fast forward many years. Probably 35+. I was still fairly clueless about Lent. A little study showed me it was more than 40 days of doing without. My first foray into that fray was doing without Diet Dr. Pepper. I thought I would try it. I succeeded. Some do without coffee. Some do without pop. Some do without sugar (candy). Some do without (fill in the blank). I’m still not sure why doing without meat, etc is a sign of “spiritual awareness.”
Lent is supposed to be 40 days of reflection on God’s holiness and grace. It is supposed to be a time when we focus on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus. Whether you do without something or continue as is, may the next 40 days bring you and me a new awareness of all Jesus did for us, culminating in the cross and His resurrection.
You may be wondering what I am going to be doing without over the next 40 days. Doing without sin would be really nice, but that would be an effort in futility. 🙂 I have no plans to do without anything in particular. I just want the next 40 days, the rest of my life really, to be a testimony of God’s goodness, forgiveness and grace.
I agree, Bill, that wanting to know Jesus better and to focus on Him and what He’s done for us should never be restricted to a time frame, i.e., Lent. But if these weeks are spent in serious reflection, we will grow closer to the Lord.
Blessings!
I most certainly can agree with you on that Martha.
Doing without vs Doing with…
For some that are more disciplined… I suppose what I am about to share could be considered a “no brainer”… however, I tend to do well with establishing goals and working to reach those goals.
As a result, I have chosen to focus on the positive vs the negative.
I am not necessarily give up anything specific, but I am going to add something to my day (which by default will push something out, just not necessarily the same thing every day).
I am going to journal for the next 40 days… starting today. I am going to write my thoughts, my prayers, my hopes, and my woes…
I find when I have journaled in the past, it helped me to express myself in words that I could reflect on later. I find it slows me down for a little bit to listen and be still. It reminds me to come before God with my prayers of Thanksgiving and Praise and my desires…
Thanks for the reminder…
That is a fantastic idea Ryan! This devotion, “Shadow,” is actually my daily journal entry. I do it because it helps to write down my thoughts each day. It is a good discipline. Way to Go! I “prophesy” that you will experience spiritual growth during this time. 🙂