Many of us are familiar with the practice of giving something up for Lent (i.e. sweets or social media). We might do this to remove distractions and focus more deeply on God. Or perhaps we want to deny ourselves of something as a sacrifice to God. There are numerous reasons, no doubt.
As I was thinking about this, and reflecting my own past attempts to “give something up” for Lent (some mildly successful and some not), I began to wonder what would happen if we flipped the focus from what we are giving up, to what we are trying to gain.
What if we challenge ourselves to identify and share just one way we hope to grow spiritually this Lent? Will you join me?
Please feel free to share as much or as little as you'd like. You can even use this simple template, "I hope to grow in _____________ this Lent."
I'll get us started in the comments.
*giving something up is optional :)
Comments
I hope to grow in financial generosity this Lent. My pastor has been challenging us to grow in generosity and lately I have been hearing God call me to think about giving outside of my (carefully calculated) comfort zone. I also want to be, at the core, a cheerful giver.
Give more time to prayer, specifically how I can come in contact with those that are un- or under-churched. I want to ask God to lead me forward in this area.
Good question, Staci. My husband and I are currently leading a small group on the book The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door. My goal is to take some simple steps to develop relationships with some neighbors whom I do not know very well or maybe at all. It's going from just a wave or a hello across the yard to learning someone's name and learning more about their life and family. It's about taking the time to offer help or even ask for help. It's about getting over my fears or stepping out of my comfort zone and taking the neighboring relationship to the next level. It is about saying no to something in order to create time for something else; in this case, the two greatest commandments: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22)
Thank you, Staci, for bringing this up.
Generosity. I just read the book "I like Giving" by Brad Formsma. This book has challenged me to keep an eye out for giving opportunities and watch the stories and relationships unfold. There are so many different ways of being generous. And sometimes we even need to practice generosity by joyfully accepting gifts too. I'm so thankful for our generous God that teaches us to give to others.
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