Lent is a time focused on fasting or \u201cgiving something up\u201d for a season to focus on our relationship with Jesus. The emphasis placed on personal discipleship and growing in our relationship with Jesus, invites us to take stock or inventory of those objects and practices that may, at times, draw us away from our relationship with God. The struggle that arises at times, though, is whether I pick up these objects or practices again once we get to Easter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the past several weeks and months, I have been challenged to consider my work ethic, schedule, and how I spend my time each day. The invitation has been for me to consider how I am taking care of myself and how I view myself and my identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our Christian culture or Church culture, self-care has been too often set aside with phrases like, \u201cI will rest when I die.\u201d Or \u201cThere are more souls to be saved and people to be helped.\u201d I will admit my own use of these statements. Yet, a quick look at Jesus\u2019 ministry and God\u2019s command for us to rest, challenges us with the very words of Jesus as he shares the Greatest Commandment and then states, \u201cand the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When our culture of \u201cdo more\u201d is our identity, we find our worth in what we do and not in who we are. We view our lives through the lens of acceptance, pats on the back, and commendations, instead of seeing ourselves through the eyes of God. In 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 we read,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When we allow the world to define who we are and measure our \u201csuccess\u201d through the world\u2019s lens, we miss out on the truth of our identity in Christ. As we seek then to live out of the worldly identity it makes it difficult for us to love our neighbor or to live in peace with those with whom we disagree. We hold tightly to our plans, our desires, and our identity of who we are, creating a defense mechanism which unintentionally creates an egotistical attitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus\u2019 instruction to us to \u201clove your neighbor as yourself\u201d places how I view myself and how I love myself as a precondition of my ability to love my neighbor. If I limit my acceptance of myself or love for myself on what I can accomplish, then I will apply this same principle to my relationship with my neighbor. The truth written upon my heart is that I am a Child of God as I seek to daily follow Jesus. The truth written upon my heart is that God loves me and has a plan for my life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I place God in control, I may have days when I falter and do not live fully into the person God has created me to be, yet, I do not turn against myself\u2026I fall more deeply into Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How do you need to love yourself better? Where are you trying to find your identity in doing, instead of being? As we soon come to the end of Lent, what is God teaching you about yourself and how God desires you to live your life trusting in Him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prayer: Lord, sometimes when I look into the mirror, I don\u2019t like what I see. I thank you that you see more deeply than I do, reminding me of your plan for my life. Forgive me for the times I don\u2019t love myself in the way you love me. Give me the grace I need each day to love myself for who you created me to be. In Jesus\u2019 name. Amen.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Lent is a time focused on fasting or \u201cgiving something up\u201d for a season to focus on our relationship with Jesus. The emphasis placed on personal discipleship and growing in our relationship with Jesus, invites us to take stock or<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t