Missio Dei Family and Friends,
As we start the season of Lent, I would like to take some time to share an experience I had with Lent. One of the first years I tried to give something up, I decided to simply not listen to the radio in my truck while I was working. After a week or two I started to get drowsy and flat out bored. I decided to get the Bible on cd and listen to that instead. This was much better than me nodding off in my truck. As time progressed, I developed a pattern of listening to the bible for half the day and sitting in silence the other half. Both were very important as one encouraged and complimented the other. As I listened to God’s story of revelation and interaction with man, I would always follow that with reflection. As I was reflecting on God, what I had heard, my life, and whatever was happening, God’s spirit truly convicted me. I don’t like the word “convicted” as it tends to be negative, but this conviction was a soul freeing experience. Up to that point, I knew God’s commands and His promises and in my head I kept them on a note pad, as if I was keeping notes for a class. I knew that God loved every one of us and kept it as a fact, not as an experience. Well, I experienced that love through the Spirit revealing it to me. That has affected me every day since, and I try to make my decisions based on that love that God gave. God was always pouring his love in my cup and yet I had never felt that cup overflow because of all of the holes I would poke in it. It only took me plugging a few of those holes to experience the love that is ever flowing and never ceasing.
I hope this has encouraged you in some way to try to give up something for lent. Not only to stop a bad habit or see if you can do it, but to see what God wants to reveal to you when you are watching and waiting. Whatever you give up, I would recommend to add something that allows you to focus on God where you have taken something out of your schedule, diet, tv time, or whatever it may be. Allow the Spirit to work through you and follow His guidance. May God be ever praised!!
Jeff Posth
jeff@missiodeicc.org
