Daily walking close to Thee

Citizen Conversations

Lent started on Ash Wednesday and we’re in our third week. It’s meant to mirror the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert after his baptism. During this time, Satan tried to tempt Jesus. For us, Lent is a time to come to terms with our sin and brings our need for a Savior to the forefront.

The point of Lent is not denying ourselves something, but for a long time I thought it was. It’s pretty common to hear of all the things people are “giving up for Lent.” Common pleasures like chocolate, a favorite drink, Facebook, and snacks seem to be common items to let go of for forty days. Of course, this denial is meant to remind us of Christ’s sacrifice, but at last for me, the focus was always on the denial itself. I was just obeying the rule, not truly grasping what the purpose was.

This year, I asked Christ to transform me. I’m still “giving up something for Lent” but I prayed and asked Christ to bring me closer to him. At times I am guilty of just going to church, going through the motions, saying my prayers, and feeling pretty good about my Christian faith. That isn’t a close walk with God but a phony one. What I want is a major, deep-down, unshakable, authentic walk with God. We are all called to be Christlike, and transformation is what it takes.

Transformation is about calling Christ closer to us, desiring a closer walk with him, and letting ourselves be shaped by God’s grace. For me, it can be sometimes painful. Like Jesus in the wilderness, God allows us to be tempted by Satan and sometimes I fall for it. Temptation shows my weakness, but acknowledgement of that weakness is where I begin to get stronger, and it is humbling to realize how far I have to go. I do need a Savior.

Giving up coffee doesn’t make me a better Christian; it just makes me grouchy and doesn’t help me let God in. I’ve learned that in order to become more fully the person God wants me to be, I need to make sacrifices that help me let God in, better equipped to resist temptations. For me, that’s about following disciplines that help me love others more and become more aware of my daily actions, as well as my attitude. And the outcome of these disciplines, denying myself sinful actions joyfully, is far more personally tr ansformative for me than if I had only eliminated some little thing from my life for forty days. Lent isn’t supposed to be easy. Like Father Flagg said at Mass one day, if it is easy, you’re doing it wrong.

It isn’t about just obeying the rule; I feel it’s importation to understand the purpose behind why we observe Lent or we miss the very point. You have to want it.

And because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold.

~Matthew 24:12

Michelle Banse Stokes is the Publisher of the Colorado County Citizen and lives in Weimar. Connect with Michelle on social media: fb.com/MichelleBanseStokes