Why Do We Need Lent?

Why Do We Need Lent?

It’s the first day of the Lenten season. Are you excited? Or are you wondering why on earth do we need lent anyway? That is a good question. Why do we need lent?

Lent is indeed for life not just for chocolate. Lent is to create space for God in us and in our lives. Lent is to remind us to prepare ourselves for Eternity. Too often our busy lives come in between us and our God.

“The weight of so many responsibilities and distractions – even the worthwhile ones – has a crushing effect on a person’s relationship with Christ. It ruins our taste for spiritual things. It suppresses our exuberance for spiritual service. It suffocates our passion for pursuing Christ and the intimate relationship He offers. It all grinds away at our soul. Eventually, following Jesus starts to lose its luster. The blessings and joys of walking with Him are crowded out by myriad tiny details of life.” (John MacArthur)

Too often the most important thing in our lives gets to be treated like the least desirable one. We really do need lent. We really do need Christ. We really do need the saving grace!

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.(2 Peter 1: 3-4, MSG)

The lenten season provides us time to reflect on our lives, repent what’s needed and create space for God to enter. God wants to work in us this lenten season. Do we invite him further in our hearts?

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with
good character,

spiritual understanding,
alert discipline,
passionate patience,
reverent wonder,
warm friendliness,
and generous love,
each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
(2 Peter 1: 5-9, MSG)

What can you do then to get these qualities active in your life? Start with prayer, meditate on these words, ask God to show you how these things could be lived out in your life. God is more than happy to help you out. God wants you to mature in your faith. God wants you to get to know him intimately and personally. Don’t base your faith on things you’ve heard. Create more space for God in you and experience Jesus Christ yourself!

So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1: 10-11, MSG)

 

Gracious God,
Forgive us becoming too busy in our lives!
Create in us space for you.
Work in us!
Guide us to become more like you.
Show us what all this means!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you start your lenten journey. It’s not about chocolate, it’s about life. It’s not about you, it’s about Christ. It’s not about your strength, it’s about the surrender.

Q4U: What are you plans for Lent?

Remember! God willing I will be blogging through the 40 days of Lent. (Note: the 40 days of Lent does not include Sundays, the days of Resurrection). You can subscribe to the RSS feed of this blog here or check back every day for reflections on creating more space for God in us. Thank you! God bless you!

Photo courtesy of Tim Hyde.

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