Wednesday, March 5, 2014

What should we do with Lent?

“Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. 5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? 6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 7 Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation” (Psalm 85:4-7) Southern Baptists are never sure what they should do with the Lenten Season. As they look into the foreheads of many of their friends, they wonder why, they too, do not have the sign of the cross in ashes upon their heads. Most Baptists simply believe it is an antiquated religious act with little or no meaning. However, for the true worshiper, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a deeply reflective period of renewal and worship. It is a time to prepare their heart, soul and mind to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The sign of the cross is a symbolic reminder of their own mortality, their heart of repentance toward God, and their heart’s mourning on the reality of the cost of sin. Do not throw away this tradition without prayerfully considering how you might be able to grow spiritually this Lent. Should Southern Baptists observe lent? There is absolutely nothing unscriptural about observing a time of reflection and renewal. In fact, we can see it modeled in many ways in scripture and in historic Christianity. Like anything, what is your motive in observing Lent? Do you fast to forsake unrighteousness and aid in your transformational journey or do you fast to earn the favor of God and the praise of men? Performing righteous deeds to gain favor of God or praise of men is a complete waste of your time. Doing acts of righteousness as an aid in your godliness, can be both beautiful and beneficial. You must humble yourself before the Creator of the Universe and long to know Him more. Be intentional during this time leading up to Easter. Take a second to prayerful consider implementing the following five exercises into your life this Lenten season. Be careful, they are habit forming. 1. Simplify Your Life – During this time leading up to Easter, consider fasting from something that creates and chaos in your life. This would be a wonderful way to figure out what you might fast from during Lent. Ask yourself a couple of questions: a. What worldly possessions most come between you and God? b. If a person could spend a normal week with you, what would they say you loved most of all? Anything but God is a wrong answer. C. Will you be bold enough to ask God to search you, and know your heart; test you and know your anxious thoughts (see Psalm 139:23-24). Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Be honest and humble before him. Write down all He shows you; “Repent therefore and turn, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). 2. Sanctify Your Time – Schedule a focused period of daily prayer, Bible Study, and meditation. Remember, everyone has time for what is most important to them. What would happen if you gave God your first 30 minutes of everyday during Lent? You may have to get off Facebook, turn off your TV, or even put down your favorite fiction novel to sanctify your time. 3. Honor a Sabbath’s rest. God gave us the model and mandate to rest. Our full rest is found in Christ. However, we still need to lighten up! It’s ok to take a day off to renew your batteries. 4. Silence and Solitude – During Lent, find at least 3 times to have an extended period with God. Turn off all technology. Spend at least an hour in silence and solitude before God. If you really feel adventurous, dedicate a four hour extended period with God. Bring music, devotions, Bible, journal and let the Holy Spirit lead your time. 5. Saturate your world with kindness and grace – Christians should be the most kind and gracious people on the face of the earth. Find ways to be kind. Show people grace. Get creative with various ways to show others kindness and grace. There are myriad of ways to express God’s kindness and grace to others. As you spread kindness and grace, begin to invest in lives and impacting them for eternity; invite them to your Easter celebration. Awe-inspiring. Overwhelming. Intense. Marvelous. Life changing. Amazing. Extraordinary. If these words better describe your supper last night and not your journey with God, it might be time for your to set apart time to renew your spiritual walk with God, to refresh your spiritual battery and to reflect upon the sacrifice of our Passover Lamb. The Lenten season may be a perfect time for you to renew and refresh your walk. For some, you may have to make drastic cuts in your life to afford the opportunity to put God first in your life and seek Him above all else. For others, you may simply need to realign your life to create an environment of transformation. For many it is more about placing good things in their proper order so you are able to place God things in their rightful place. Remember the general rule of spiritual growth: You will never drift toward God. If you do nothing, you will always drift away from God. Use this time to transform your life. Lent can be a perfect occasion to create new habits and to cut away damaging or wasteful habits. In April, I will encourage our church to a 21 Day Journey in the Gospel of John. This will be one tool we will use to draw closer to God and prepare for our Easter celebration. What will you use? If I would have used the calendar better, I would have given up business meetings for Lent. Maybe next year! For His glory!