Me vs Me

Lent

Lent is a week from today. Ash Wednesday or better known to me as "dirty forehead day" is the official start to 40 days of sacrifice leading up to Easter Sunday. Not being Catholic the whole idea of lent was foreign to me up until a few years ago. Being that Abby and I were going to be the morning duo for Spirit FM I thought it would be a good thing if I did it as well. So I prayed and asked God what I should do and also if He could NOT ask me to give up coffee. A week later I gave up coffee. Not because the clouds parted and a voice from the heavens said "Carlos, give up your coffee addiction for me!" It was more because if I was going to do this, I needed it to be a real sacrifice.

So this morning we talked about Lent and an article I found in Relevant Magazine. A great website by the way. In the article this is something the author wrote:

So my Lenten theme this year will be 1 Samuel 3:9 (“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening”). How will this play out? I don't know yet, which is why I'm asking Him for direction. I do know that the very act of asking, and turning things over to Him, changes things—and changes us. Whatever Christ asks me to give up, I’m guessing it won’t be chocolate (I’m sort of hoping not). I have a feeling it’ll be something more along the lines of Pride. And yet I’m also trusting Him to be more specific. For example, praying daily for humility. Or turning off my BlackBerry. Or both.

Who am I kidding? He's asking for Everything. To quote C.S. Lewis, “Christ says, ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it.’” (Mere Christianity) Funny how we never see this on an Easter card.

I love the idea of not so much giving up "something" for lent, like coffee or candy or something that in the grand scheme of things we can live without. But making a deep sacrifice and giving up the things that make me comfortable. I struggle with Pride, I struggle with my Ego, I struggle with my blackberry and the idea of truly becoming a servant for 40 days is tough! Opening up every morning and LOOKING for God to use me! Its a scary thought.

Imagine, everywhere you go looking for God to use you in some way. Walking around town with the intention of being a servant. I love what she wrote about C.S. Lewis, “Christ says, ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it.’”

I know God appreciates our sacrifice of coffee for breakfast or candy for my snack, but can't we go deeper than just the surface? "I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it." That line keeps repeating in my head. For me, this lent, I am going to sacrifice myself, that God may use me how He wishes. Each day I am going to open up and start by looking for ways to be a servant. Daily giving up my Pride or my Ego and truly have that servants heart. Imagine the kind of world we would live in if we all had that heart. Its not going to be easy. I need to pray for wisdom and strength and Lord knows He's going to have to remind me of my sacrifice. Especially the day its pouring down rain and I drive by the guy with the flat tire and no umbrella and God gives me that tug on my heart to get out my comfy car and get wet.

Pray about maybe making a sacrifice for Lent this year. Maybe give up something small this time, like TV for an hour or coffee for breakfast. Or maybe go big this year and do something that could truly change your life.

Be Blessed.

Carlos