I’ve recently become obsessed with Words with Friends. I play with a couple coworkers, and one is really good. He has about eight to ten games going at one time and he usually wins. He and I sit in our break room at lunch, intently staring at our phones, often playing each other. (Yes, the irony in this situation is not lost on me.)
Last week, he looked up from his phone and said:
I really need to apply this level of commitment to something else.
This then led into a conversation about Lent. He knew what he needed to give up, but wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to do it. All those players were depending on him!
I like the idea of giving up things for Lent. Surrendering something important (to us) as a small reminder of the powerful thing Jesus did for us. I wanted to give something up this year, but I had a hard time deciding what. I tend to come up with things that are too easy. I need something that will challenge me.
A friend once said that Lent wasn’t always about what you give up, but about beginning a better habit. I think that’s the direction I’m leaning this year. And that better habit needs to be spiritual in nature. For over a year, I’ve been struggling to get my quiet time back in order. I read my Bible, but it’s often just words on a page. I pray, but it’s often nothing more than, “Um… help me, God. Thanks.”
My church is offering a Lenten devotion along with communion each Wednesday. I need to go. I’m making the commitment to go each Wednesday, reflect on the elements, confess my sins, and open my ears and my heart to God. And in addition, I will keep reading my Bible until those words become alive again.
So, really, I am giving up something: the complacent lifestyle I’ve grown way too comfortable in. I am more than ready to be done with that.
Question: Are you giving up something for Lent this year? Or starting a better habit?