LENTEN FREEDOM

I am writing a couple of devotionals for our church this Lenten season, and I'll post them on here, enjoy.

Philippians 3:8,12 and 16 “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus… I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me…. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”

Lent begins today, Ash Wednesday. Because I didn’t grow up in any kind of religious environment, Lent meant nothing to me until college. And even then, at first it only meant “giving something I liked up.” Some sort of weird, temporary self-denial for 40 week days before Easter. But I’m a greedy American, so that was hard. I started out with easy things, stuff I wouldn’t REALLY miss. Sweets one year, soda or caffeine one year. Pizza one year. The next year was music in my car. I LOVE music. That was the year I learned about Lent.

I learned that it wasn’t about following rules for rules’ sake. I learned that I actually experienced more clarity, by taking away something and replacing that thing with sorting through the clutter in my mind, listening, praying and life-giving activity. I learned that in giving something up, what I received was much greater. I received freedom. God doesn’t want our sacrifices (read 1 Samuel 15), he wants our hearts, he wants our attention. It doesn’t matter what we do or don’t do, but God wants us to be free. Free from addiction, so we can be free for receiving His good gifts.

Jesus, may you mean more to us than anything else. Help us release our grip on whatever we are clinging to tightly. Let us live into the freedom you give us. Amen.

He wants our hearts, he misses us. May we experience God’s freedom and peace this Lenten season.