And then there is Easter. A most Holy of days. A day that we reflect on Christ's suffering and anguish as He was led to a tree to die for all of mankind. Maybe that's why we don't decorate, sing happy, special Easter songs, and have parties every other night. Not in the Christian sense. We celebrate the Easter bunny, and hide eggs, and sugar our kids up on too much candy. We decorate with bunnies, eggs, and spring flowers. While most Christians would be in unanimous agreement--- that the reason we celebrate Easter, which was Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection--- is something that we should celebrate, and be joyous over 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Yet Easter time is a little more reverent. It's when we truly recognize the sake of the call and what it means to be a Christ follower. Many people see January 1 as a day of starting fresh and starting new. Making resolutions and trying to stick with them. However, starting fresh in your spiritual walk can also take on a whole new meaning when you take the time to reflect on the happenings of Christ's foretelling of death, and His foretelling becoming reality. From the Passover feast, to the betrayal by Judas, to the Messiah crying out to his Father to take the cup from his hands--- yet His will be done--- it is an historical event that unfolded in front of many eyewitnesses. Christ literally took the weight of the world from all ETERNITY and bared it upon His shoulders so that WE, His children could be in His holy presence--- to infinity and beyond!
Which, I guess I could sit here and ramble all day about Easter and it's significance. But I came here really to challenge you. I had sort of always taken Lent as something only certain religions practiced. And in a way, it was almost something I sort of joked about. But I really had my eyes opened to what it means and that you don't have to be Catholic to associate yourself with Lent and fasting. That it is not a RELIGIOUS journey (after all, aren't we all trying to get to the same place) but more of a personal spiritual journey. So as I mentioned in an earlier post, I called one of my BFF's and asked her to be an accountability partner to me and to pray for me, and if she felt led, she could join me in the fast if she felt led. My fast, I decided, was from Facebook. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it was getting ridiculous. I felt like my smartphone was controlling my life. Like that's all I ever wanted to do was see what was going on with all 5 hundred something friends that were on my friends list. And do you know something? What a burden has been lifted from me without always having that controlling my thoughts. My spiritual life was really suffering. I had slacked off in my prayer life and parts of my life were showing that. I don't even have the slightest desire to really be on Facebook anymore. Besides the occasional catching up with old friends that I truly don't ever see, then there's nothing there for me. Your life reflects where you priorities are, and I don't want that to be a priority with me.
What a difference a fast has made. I've focused on the things that God has been desiring from me all along. So, my BFF who took this "plunge" with me is also the wife of our Sunday School teacher. Every year he fasts from Good Friday until Easter Sunday afternoon. He fasts from food and drink. He has done this for years, and is all the better for it because he does this. So he challenged each of us Sunday morning to pray about fasting. Not necessarily from food, but from something that is a distraction in our walk with God. Something that will be a challenge for us. Something that will cause us to seek God's face for strength and for revelation of His Glory. So, I have been fasting from Facebook, which has been much easier than I anticipated. I am praying for something much deeper to be revealed that I can challenge myself to fast from for 3 days this weekend. It would be food, but I am nursing so I have to have the calories from food. I know that not everyone feels led to fast. And it's not about us, but about Him. But if you feel like there is a distraction in your life, then start today by praying that God will lead you to seek Him, and deny yourself so that you can take up your cross and follow Him.
Luke 9:23
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
"Humility and self-denial are two sides of the same coin. Jesus' greatest calling for us to deny ourselves came when He stated, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me'. By fasting as unto the Lord we answer His call to deny ourselves for the sake of the cross"--- Lee Bueno
God wants the praise for what we do in our lives. But if we never pray audacious, courageous prayers, how can He answer them? If we never follow Him to positions where we need Him, how can He show up and make His presence known"-- Francis Chan from 'Erasing Hell'
No comments:
Post a Comment