“Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. All churches that have a continuous history extending before AD 1500 observe Lent. The ancient church that wrote, collected, canonized, and propagated the New Testament also observed Lent, believing it to be a commandment from the apostles.”  http://www.kencollins.com/holy-04.htm

As we have entered into the Lenten season, I remember my roots of growing up in a religion that focused on the season with the fasting, the giving up of pleasures and the fish dinner Fridays. Apart from the legalistic attitudes, I remember the training in reverence and self denial. These lessons are well worth paying attention to at any time of year.

Luke 9:22-24 “saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.’ And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.’”

The cross we must take up daily is self-denial. We are to crucify the self, putting our selfish desires to death. Daily signifies that it is not a once and done thing, but an ongoing battle. It is a choice of our will. It is a part of each and every decision we make. Our choice is to live for God or to live for ourselves. It is a state of mind to be lived out every day, indeed every moment, as we strive to live by faith allowing the Spirit to lead us, allowing Christ Jesus to live through us.

Titus 2:11-13 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, “
How much are we distracted by the world? The lust of the eye that breeds desire in the heart lures us away from self-denial and into a lifestyle that is not pleasing to God. Living for pleasures and this temporal world is opposed to the ways of God. Yes, it is a sacrifice to live for God. We are called to sacrifice the self-will daily and live according to the ways of God.

This does not mean that we are never to have pleasures and joy in this world. The reality is that God’s creation is to be enjoyed. The attitudes within us are what matters. Is our heart set on the things of this world or are we simply enjoying them in the course of life. Our heart’s desire is to be the Lord and fellowship with Him. The Gospels provide many warnings about being ensnared by the things of the world.

Fasting and prayer are excellent means for separating our self desires from our spiritual lives. We cannot live successful Christian lives if our desires for the things of this world are allowed to short circuit our spiritual lives. We have been warned that we cannot serve two masters. The self or the Lord; only one can be on the throne over our lives. How, then, ought we to pray? Perhaps it could be something like this.

Dear Father in heaven, I come to You with praise and thanksgiving. You alone are worthy to be seated on the throne above all creation and on the throne of my heart. You alone are the creator of all things and the source of all blessings in my life. You alone are worthy to receive all worship, praise and adoration. I thank You for sending a Savior, Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. I thank You for sending Him, in spite of my sinful ways, to redeem me from that sin. It is humbling to know that You have so great a love for me that You would pursue me and draw me to Yourself. I thank You Father for showing me such loving-kindness and tender mercy.

I thank You Jesus for going to the cross to suffer, die and shed Your blood to pay for my sin. It was a price that was not Yours to pay, but You did it anyhow because You loved me. You paid my debt, enabling me to know the joy of Thy salvation, and I am eternally grateful. Help me now to live a life that is pleasing to the Father. Help me to learn your Word and to keep it close to my heart. Please forgive me for my sins, my failures and my shortcomings. Help me to draw closer to you. Help me, Lord, to turn away from the things of this world that have no eternal value. Help me to seek Your will and to do it. Help me to love others as You have loved me.

During this season of Lent, let each of us seek to draw nearer to God with soul-searching and repentance. Let us remember the great sacrifice of the cross that enables us to come before the throne of God with humble and contrite hearts. Then let us rejoice together this Easter season with thanksgiving and praise to God our Creator, who in His great mercy and love, sent a redeemer to deliver us from the wrath of God and the judgment to come into eternal life.

If you are interested in reading more:

Take Up Your Cross, Sermon Notes, John Schaenzer, Comforts of Home, September 20, 2008.

The Season of Lent, Rev. Ken Collins

Catholic Encyclopedia, Lent