One of the things I gave up during Lent was sweets–my favorite food. I enjoy cakes, candy, cookies… I am counting down the days until the end of Lent (the Friday before Easter). As I do, it is really helping me to see the importance of sacrifice. We will sacrifice for things we value. Truly Jesus must have valued being faithful to his call as the Messaah and what that faithfulness would bring for you and me. What is it today that people value to the point they will sacrifice for it.
March 31, 2009 at 9:12 pm
I don’t know if it is entirely in line with the spirit of the season, but I was moved to challenge my thought process towards my daily activities. I have learned the hard way one of the most precious gifts associated with life is the time with which we are endowed. It essentially is the currency of exchange between our spiritual existence and flesh. We negotiate our lives according to this exchange.
Coming to better appreciate this has given me insight into how to treat time as the precious resource it is. It is important to understand it as a precious gift so that one can truly master time and its inherent limitations. Otherwise, we can become a slave or a victim to it.
Clearly, Jesus is the example of this because his purpose aligned him with his activities. It was a different time but even the things that correlate to modern life didn’t budge him from using his time towards the greater glory. His mind and spirit didn’t become trapped in the hum-drum of life or feel the limitations of this boundary. Jesus clearly knew and expresses the meaning of one valuing life because in his sacrifice he has given all of us a pathway to the eternal. In the process of him aligning himself with purpose, sacrificing his immediate concerns to the long-term aims of God’s people; his name and example became immortal.
With his sacrifice, we can all share in this example and learn to live in ways that add value long-term to ourselves, our family, and God’s people. We first must learn to not be bound by the perception of time as a limitation; we must embrace it as gift or an opportunity to do what God has asked us to do and thank him for this gift.
DJ
April 6, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Donnel,
Thanks for this inspirational message reminding me of the value of time. The way we use our time should reflect our values, especially our leisure time, if there is such a thing. What Lent does for me when I add a spiritiual discipline I have not practiced or take away something I enjoy (sacrifice) is point me to the significance of this time. Lent is time to reflect on my faith journey and to discover anew what God is saying to me–things I need to correct, and things I celebrate because of the faithfulness of Christ.