Practical Lent Suggestions

During the season of Lent -- which leads up to the celebration of Easter -- many people will give things up.  ("fast" from something)

This is a good practice...BUT... if all we do is give up something; we are missing the point of Lent (or any fasting) -- the point is not just what you give up (in fact that should not be your focus); the point is what you seek to GAIN!

Simply put--Lent is about seeking JESUS.  We fast from things that crowd Him out, or distract us from Him, or that by going without will remind us to focus on Him.

But instead of just telling you to "focus on Jesus", I want to offer some practical advice as to how you can make your "giving up" of something into an opportunity to GAIN so much more of Jesus!

It starts with our FOCUS.

Do NOT focus on your fast -- focus on JESUS.  If you are giving up sweets; don't spend your whole day lamenting that you are going without and sharing with everyone who will listen how much you are missing sugar.  To do so is to have the opposite effect that the fast ought to have.  In fact Jesus warns us in Matthew 6 to make sure that we DON'T let people know when we are fasting but to instead carry on as we would most other days as far as outward appearance is concerned (Matthew 6:16-18)  Remember that JESUS is your focus -- it is HIS approval we seek, not each others!

So focus on Jesus, not on the thing you are fasting from, and especially not on the reactions of others.

Secondly, REPLACE what you have given up with the BEST.

In other words, don't just give something up and leave a void--fill the void with JESUS.

Here are some examples of what that might look like:

If you gave up tv or facebook:  During the time you would have been watching tv or on facebook take time to pray and read the Bible.  Instead of filling your mind with the stuff of our world--fill it with the Word of Jesus!  (Imagine if all the time you spent on tv/facebook was spent getting to know Jesus!!  How much better would you know Jesus at the end of 40 days!?)

If you gave up sweets or something like alcohol:  Take the money you would normally spend on sweets or alcohol in 40 days and GIVE IT AWAY!
Additionally--every time you start craving that thing you gave up let it remind you to thank Jesus that He is more than enough and learn through these 40 days to depend on Jesus more and more.

These are just a couple examples -- but hopefully they give you an idea of how you can not just give something up, but GAIN something so much more.

I would love to hear what you are giving up for Lent, and what your plan is for getting to know Jesus better during the next 40 days!

Are you Content or Complacent?

Content or Complacent -- these two words are similar; yet display a radically different attitude.

Complacent: "Showing a smug satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements"

Content: "A state of satisfaction, peaceful happiness"

Paul said he "learned to be content no matter what the circumstances..."  Later he says this is because he looks to the "One who gives him strength" --- JESUS is the source of contentment no matter whether he is well fed or hungry.  This is contentment, and this is good.

However, Proverbs says:  "the complacency of fools will destroy them"  (Prov 1:32b)

I've heard Christians use the word "contentment" to describe their satisfaction with their current experience of Jesus -- and they almost display a disdain toward the idea of longing for more than what we currently know of Jesus.  This is not contentment -- this is complacency.

Jesus did not set us free from sin, and fill us with His Spirit so that we could be complacent with the bare minimum of who He is.  Rather, He is a ever-flowing spring of life, an infinitely deep well of Love and He intends that our life would be spent going ever deeper into who He is, growing ever more confident in His grace.

There is a deep end to Jesus--deeper than any ocean depth.  It is ok to begin your journey in the shallows; but it is lazy complacency to remain there--the shallows is NOT the place of contentment--true contentment is experienced as we dive into the depths of Jesus and we realize that all else besides Him is worthless!

Be content in all circumstances because you are ever growing more in love with Jesus.  But never allow yourself to be complacent, as if you have arrived and are experiencing all that Christ has for you--I assure you there is more!  Look always to the One who gives MORE than we can ask or imagine!