Ash Wednesday

Today was Ash Wednesday, the official kickoff to Lent. So, probably the best way to start this blog is to explain what Lent is.

Lent is a period in which Christians prepare themselves for Easter. This is generally 40 days, which signifies the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert and was tempted by Satan.


If you look at the calendar, though, there are 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Different churches calculate the days differently, but my Protestant church excludes Sundays to get the 40 day period. For that 40 days, people give up something that they enjoy(sometimes candy, caffeine, chocolate, etc.). Those that exclude Sundays usually allow people to partake in whatever they gave up on Sundays. Of course, this varies depending on the section or denomination of Christianity.


But why do we give something up in the first place? If all you are doing is not eating candy, how do you get closer to God?


The key is to take the time you would normally do with that activity and use it to focus on God. Some people give up their time. In my case, I am giving up time that I would normally spend browsing the Internet or doing other stuff to make sure I post a blog. I don't mind writing but it is not what I would call an enjoyable pasttime for me. The bigger picture for me, though, is that it forces me to think about God and spend time in the Bible.


I want to share some scripture that my pastor shared with us this evening. This is part of the Sermon on the Mount. I will split it up into three sections describing giving, praying, and fasting. The entire passage is Matthew 6:1-18.


Giving


(1)"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. (2) So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (3) But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (4) so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."


You'll see throughout the passage a common theme about keeping your acts secret. A lot of people seem to enjoy the attention they get from giving to charities or the needy. What Jesus is saying here is that the attention received would be the full reward - however, by giving when no one is looking, you will be rewarded greater by God.


Praying

(5) "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (6) But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (7)And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (8)Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
(9) "This, then, is how you should pray:
'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
(10)your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
(11) Give us today our daily bread.
(12) Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
(13) And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.' (14)For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (15) But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

There are two major themes that I see here. The first is the importance of quiet prayer time. Some people like to pray for show, but I think the best way to pray is in the quiet of your own home or other place where you can get away. The best way for you to talk to God is to make sure you've cut out all distractions. The conversation should be between you and God, not just so someone else can see you and think highly of you. Again the theme here is that if you do something just to get attention, that's the only reward you will get.

The second theme I'm sseeing is how if we expect God to forgive us, we need to be able to forgive others. I know so many people who hold on to grudges with people but yet expect that God will forgive them for everything. It goes along with the Golden Rule. If you want God to forigve you, then forgive others.

That's not saying it's easy, and I'll probably do a few more blogs about this topic later. I have been hurt by a few people, and I've done my share of hurting others, so I'm afraid I have experience in this subject.

Fasting

(16) "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (17) But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, (18) so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

This is where the "giving something up for Lent" thing comes into play. If you are giving something up, it shouldn't be obvious to everyone else. They shouldn't be able to look at you and say, "Man, you look terrible!" Instead, this should again be between you and God.

This isn't to say that you can't tell people what you are giving up. Obviously, I'm doing that here! The key is that while you want to be a good witness, you also want it to be an intimate thing between you and your Heavenly Father.

I realize this initial Lent post went kind of long. They will not all be this long - some will be shorter, some longer. I won't always be covering Lent-specific topics but just about anything that pops up into my head. If you have a topic suggestion, comment here or e-mail me: kenny.beasley@gmail.com.

God bless,
Kenny


(Note: Scripture taken from biblegateway.com, NIV version.)