“When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.”

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 ( NIV )

Dear Lord,

At this time of Lent, help us to experience the real message of the Cross. Thank You for Your Son and for His sacrifice that we may see the New Jerusalem.

Amen

Lenten Challenge

Have we lost our perspective on the purpose of Lent? I believe we have. In the contest of what am I “giving up” for Lent, we focus on our “suffering” rather than on using our “suffering” to comprehend the true suffering of Christ on the cross.

At the beginning of the Lenten season, people often ask, “What are you giving up for Lent?” A discussion on what they are giving up follows with the usual soda, coffee, chocolate, TV, etc.

Instead of “giving up” something, they replace things they are giving up with a different beverage, TV show, snack, and so on. By simply replacing one thing with another, they are not truly fulfilling the vow they made to God. This year let us try to “add” something to our Christian walk. The time you spend watching one sitcom could be spent reading your Bible. The time you give up drinking a cup of coffee or a bottle of soda, etc. can be used to show the love of God to others by giving a hug to a loved one, playing a simple game with your child, or writing a note to a long-distance friend or relative. Money saved up from whatever you have given up can be given to the church or to another ministry.

Instead of thinking about how many more days do I have to live without something, what if we concentrate on thanking God, during this time of preparation, for all that He has given us, especially for the love and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.

DIANE PALMER