“Now, Why Am I Doing This??” - A Short Guide to Lent | Pastor John Hardie
The arrival of Ash Wednesday marks a new season for us at City Church. Historically, the church has invited its members to observe Lent as a penitential season and way to spiritually accompany Jesus to the Cross.
Jesus left enthralled crowds behind in Galilee and set his face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51f) where he would confront the religious establishment and be killed and raised from the dead.
That path was not easy for him or those who followed him; and we are not looking for an easy way either. Lent is a time to distance ourselves from the distractions of the world, a time to dedicate ourselves to self-examination, prayer, fasting, and self-denial, and meditating on lessons from Holy Scripture.
The season is 40 days, a nod to his time in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. So, you’re 3 weeks into this journey and wondering, “Why am I doing this??” Here are a few things to remember.
We are doing Lent to:
Grow in our devotion to Jesus. Added disciplines are intended to increase our appreciation for Jesus, and indeed our time with Him each day.
Deepen our repentance. Sin is made up of all kinds of wrong. Some evils are things we would never contemplate, much less do. But others have a familiar hold on us. They are evident in our impatience, scorn, envy, independence, and self-pity. We may conceal them from others well enough, but God sees such things, and they do affect our relationships. During Lent we make time for honest assessment, and the expression of regret and sorrow. We also listen to God’s invitation to us to turn to Him, and to seek help and mercy in our weakness.
Strengthen our faith. In Lent, we are not acting alone. God is doing His work. We believe in God. We trust in Him. We depend on him more and more, especially when we fast from food. Each person chooses his or her own kind of fast. Some choose one day in the week to not eat. Others stop eating meat, sweets, drinking alcohol, or a combination. Still others go without a particular meal each day.
We can also choose to fast from things like television, social media, or video games. Fasting from these can open to us ample time for reading, study, and praying. It’s amazing what we can learn about ourselves (and God) by spending some addition time in prayer, study, or silence.
4. Become better intercessors. A deepening awareness of personal sin always makes us more aware of “the sin of the world.” The Lamb of God came to take away the sin of the world. There’s a vital role He’s given us to play in that as intercessors. The mercy we experience drives us to pray for God’s mercy in other people’s lives. Beautiful actions follow beautiful prayers.
As always, remember that the church elders — Pastors Jack Carter, Joshua Segundo, John Hardie, and Pete Hansen and Donnie Hass — are happy to visit with you along the way to offer encouragement and guidance. We are praying that each person and each family has an anointed season with the Lord.