Growing up in a structured, traditional church came with the yearly Lenten sacrifices. I would start planning weeks in advance for the “just right” thing to give up as my offering each Lent. Choosing involved making sure that whatever I gave up would hurt, but not too much. Giving up chocolate or desserts seem to be a typical “go to” sacrifice each Lent because I knew I could handle this for 6 weeks and often other family members were doing the same thing so there was strength in numbers. I noticed as I went through this process each Lent, I didn’t feel any different when I walked away at the end of six weeks. My time of preparing was bogged down by giving up chocolate instead of truly preparing my heart for the redeeming sacrifice that Jesus was about to make for me on the cross. Instead of focusing on the ultimate sacrifice and redemption story that was written for each of us, my focus was on whether I could make it without sweets for six weeks without cheating .
I realized that I had misread Lent and its true purpose for our lives.
I am learning, slowly but surely, that in order to truly prepare myself for the dying and rising of Jesus, I need to look inward at my heart and what I hold inside as important. My preparation is only complete when I invite God to be part of the process and let Him work on me from the inside out. It is only with God’s help that He can lovingly mold me into the beauty that is me by painting me with His strength and firing me with a daily dose of grace.
[Tweet “Heart preparation requires an invitation to God to be part of the process.”]
Please follow me to The Weekend Brew where I continue my refection on Lent.
I am so blessed that you are here.
Mary
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Mary–I love this thought. I believe you’re right–Lent shouldn’t be about doing something at all…but about quieting your heart to receive what has been done for us. Quieting our heart to see what is there. Allowing HIM to work in us. Beautiful…
Thank you Amy! I appreciate your kind words and love how God teaches us anew in different seasons. Giving something up was a ritual that never led me to a deeper relationship with God. Hope you have a blessed week!
This is what blessed me here, Mary, “My preparation is only complete when I invite God to be part of the process and let Him work on me from the inside out.” I totally get this Mary, totally understand your heart here and it is a prayer that is my own. Inviting Him in, deep and close for the working out of His grace that I may come away fully changed. One of my favorite scriptures says, when we delight ourself in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart. ( ps 37:4) May that be our focus.. Him as our delight!
Blessings,
Dawn
Amen Dawn! I love hearing your perspective and when you talk about grace I am immediately drawn in because it is near and dear to my heart. Let us all delight in God and allow Him to delight in us this Lenten season and every other day. Thank you for being here and for your encouragement! Blessings friend!