Author’s Note: This is part of a 40 Day Lenten & Easter YWAP Devotional that explores self-sacrifice as it relates to the death and resurrection of Christ.
Day One - The Chocolate Stays In The Fridge for 40 Days!
Fasting for 40 days during Lent is something folks from different faith traditions have taken part in for many years. It’s a period of self-denial and personal reflection on the last 40 days of the life of Christ before He was crucified and resurrected. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 26) and typically ends on Holy Thursday (April 9) for folks who are Catholics. Other folks end their period of self-sacrifice anywhere between Holy Thursday and Easter. As the author, my personal habit has been to end my Lenten Fast on Good Friday after 3PM. Welcome to Day One, I pray that we’ll all experience a greater understanding of the death and resurrection of Christ and a deeper love for each other over the next 40+ days.
As a child growing up Catholic, most of us kids gave up ludicrous things for lLent. We joked about giving up chewing gum or unwrapped candy. We may have joked about Lent and we may not have taken self-sacrifice very seriously, but a seed was planted. Over all, growing up as a Catholic served to build a solid foundation for my life in Christ today. My prayer is to know God more with each passing year of my life. So how does giving up chocolate bring you closer to God?
Yes, the chocolate will stay in the fridge until late Good Friday afternoon. There’s a lot more than denying my cravings for chocolate that make up my time of self-denial. It’s a personal decision between you and God. Don’t compare yourself to others, your relationship with God is uniquely suited to no one but you. On some days I will do a water only fast. Some days will be only one or two meals. What you do matters less than the intent of your heart as you do it. Focus on setting aside some personal time for prayerful reflection on the reasons that God gave His only Son to be sacrificed for us. It’s a matter of our dirty deeds or sins as the Bible calls them. All of us have done dirty deeds that separate us from our potential in Christ.
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of our longer than 40 day journey. Why are there more than 40 days in Lent? The early church did not count Sunday’s in Lent because Sunday represents the day when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Lent then, is a period of repentance and celebration. Many folks will receive ashes on their foreheads today. Ashes are symbolic of sorrow and repentance regarding our sins. I think of humility when I think of ashes. Christ humbled Himself unto death on our behalf. He gave up mercy for Himself to give us mercy. He died before we made a decision to accept His grace. There was no mercy for Jesus as He was abandoned, rejected, mocked, tortured and crucified as a public spectacle - a picture of shame and disgrace. He did that so we could be saved from a second death. Dying separated from God will leave us spiritually dead and destined for hell.
DAY ONE WORD
“I had heard rumors about You,
but now my eyes have seen You.
Therefore I take back my words
and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job 42:5-6 HCSB
HEART THOUGHTS
What will you sacrifice to gain a greater knowledge of living a more excellent way of life in humility with Christ?
HEART REFLECTIONS
Focus on humility. What does humility look like to you?
Focus on ashes and repentance. What does dying to your self look like?
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ywap40daysoflent #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW
As a child growing up Catholic, most of us kids gave up ludicrous things for lLent. We joked about giving up chewing gum or unwrapped candy. We may have joked about Lent and we may not have taken self-sacrifice very seriously, but a seed was planted. Over all, growing up as a Catholic served to build a solid foundation for my life in Christ today. My prayer is to know God more with each passing year of my life. So how does giving up chocolate bring you closer to God?
Yes, the chocolate will stay in the fridge until late Good Friday afternoon. There’s a lot more than denying my cravings for chocolate that make up my time of self-denial. It’s a personal decision between you and God. Don’t compare yourself to others, your relationship with God is uniquely suited to no one but you. On some days I will do a water only fast. Some days will be only one or two meals. What you do matters less than the intent of your heart as you do it. Focus on setting aside some personal time for prayerful reflection on the reasons that God gave His only Son to be sacrificed for us. It’s a matter of our dirty deeds or sins as the Bible calls them. All of us have done dirty deeds that separate us from our potential in Christ.
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of our longer than 40 day journey. Why are there more than 40 days in Lent? The early church did not count Sunday’s in Lent because Sunday represents the day when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Lent then, is a period of repentance and celebration. Many folks will receive ashes on their foreheads today. Ashes are symbolic of sorrow and repentance regarding our sins. I think of humility when I think of ashes. Christ humbled Himself unto death on our behalf. He gave up mercy for Himself to give us mercy. He died before we made a decision to accept His grace. There was no mercy for Jesus as He was abandoned, rejected, mocked, tortured and crucified as a public spectacle - a picture of shame and disgrace. He did that so we could be saved from a second death. Dying separated from God will leave us spiritually dead and destined for hell.
DAY ONE WORD
“I had heard rumors about You,
but now my eyes have seen You.
Therefore I take back my words
and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job 42:5-6 HCSB
HEART THOUGHTS
What will you sacrifice to gain a greater knowledge of living a more excellent way of life in humility with Christ?
HEART REFLECTIONS
Focus on humility. What does humility look like to you?
Focus on ashes and repentance. What does dying to your self look like?
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ywap40daysoflent #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW
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