A couple weeks ago after staff worship, Bill Swan shared a
word about lent with the Adventures in Missions staff. It was a word that challenged
us to look at lent as something more than merely giving up candy or soda (not
that those sacrifices are bad), but as an opportunity to intentionally draw
nearer to the Lord in these forty days leading up to Easter.
So I began to pray about what keeps me from intimacy with
God. I thought of the things in my day-to-day life that rob me of time and life
and purpose.
Immediately my mind went to the amount of time I spend checking
email, Facebook, and Pinterest. I thought of the time I spend online watching
“Modern Family” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
I thought about how
many nights I turn on my computer to “just check my email” only to find myself
on the computer for several hours, wasting my life away.
I thought of the mornings that follow those nights that I
stay up too late, hitting the snooze button only to reluctantly drag myself out
of bed instead of eagerly awaking to spend time with Jesus.
Needless to say, God made it pretty clear what I could do in
this season to draw nearer to him.
So I made the decision to keep my computer usage to work hours.
And let me tell you, it’s
been amazing. To be honest, it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice. It feels like
a gift. It feels right.
It feels like freedom.
I’ve had more time to spend reading, and journaling, and
worshipping. I’ve gotten more sleep. And I’ve found that my thoughts are
different-more focused on God and truth than any earthly circumstance or struggle.
So often I pray, “I want more of you God,” yet my actions
don’t align. I wonder what it would look like to live a life where I actively
choose God over the distractions. I’m
ready and I’m finding out.
In what ways is the
Lord calling you to draw nearer to Him? What is He speaking to you about this
Lenten season? It’s not too late-it’s never too late-to press into the good that
the Lord has for you. I would love it if you’d share in the comment section
below. J
