Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Fat Tuesday

It is Tuesday night... not just any Tuesday night but the night before the start of lent... also known as Fat Tuesday.  In some minds this day symbolizes eating, drinking, and partying for tomorrow we have to give it up.  In some minds its all about the beads... that's another whole post for another day.  Still in others minds, its just another day on this road of life.

Normally I fall into the 3rd category- not really giving this day much thought... however tonight on my way home from Bible study the Holy Spirit convicted my heart on a couple of things and I thought I would share because it definitely has a tie in.

Recently I have seen tons of posts on social media sites about what is being given up for lent... comments like "I feel like I should give something up, but I don't know what... any ideas?"  Comments like this got me thinking about what lent is all about... it is a time to give up something that is distracting you from God in order to prepare your hearts for Easter and his glorious resurrection.  The problem comes that many in our society have lost the true meaning of Easter and don't see Christ as glorious.  This was a huge deal to James, the half brother of Christ, who lived in the same house as Jesus and missed his glory.   Do we desire to miss Christ's glory in our own lives?  We would probably say no but how many habits stand in the way of us seeing His glory and Him doing a might work in us.  Ewww buddy... heavy and convicting stuff!  It is not worth it.  None of my selfish habits and desires are worth getting in the way of desiring more of His glory.  This is the purpose of lent- to lay something down that has gotten in the way of receiing more of His glory.  So after tonight, I am giving up a couple of things for lent with the prayer that by Easter these habits will no longer be between me and my glorious LORD. 

The second convicting thought of the evening that really puts this in high gear is found in James 1:25 (NET)- "The one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out- he will be blessed in what he does."  I don't want to be a forgetful listener- to hear my sinful habits are blocking His glory in my life is painful but if I don't remember this and change it, I am no closer to seeing His glory.  God's Word is alive and active.  When was the last time God's Word changed you?  If I have stopped changing because of the Word of God, then I have become a forgetful listener. 

I want to listen and obey, change and grown, truly bask in His glory... so this Easter season I lay my bad habits at the foot of the cross, looking up to see Christ in all of His glory!!!

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