WWYD?

Yesterday, the Gospel lesson told of Jesus' sojourn in the wilderness. During this time, he prayed, fought off temptation, and prepared himself for doing the work God called him to do. If you were driven into the wilderness, what would you do? Now, I can't speak for you, but I wonder whether I'd have the presence of mind, the focus to concentrate on my spiritual life. Given that I've never really been the outdoors type, I suspect that I'd be preoccupied with my discomfort, wondering where my next meal was coming from, annoyed by the lack of creature comforts, and, more than ready to get back to civilization. Yet, despite all this, I also suspect that God would be working creatively to get my attention, ready to help me overcome distractions, committed to my renewal. I'd just need to start paying attention to the things that truly mattered.

These forty days of Lent are our time to test drive living in the wilderness; they afford us a chance to practice setting aside the things that prevent us from growing closer to God. Doing this might not be easy, but it's the way to a deeper life in Christ. So, as we move deeper into the season, and we're looking for inspiration, we should ask not "What Would Jesus Do?" but "What Would You Do?" -- we should look ourselves in the mirror, ask what we're focused on, and then decide if that will take us closer to, or away from, God. Knowing the answer will help us chart the way forward.

Comments

  1. Betsy RaganFebruary 27, 2012 at 3:25 PM

    Beginning to understand myself as an "underachiever..." Time to reflect on God's power and ask for strength to become more like the person God intended.

    ReplyDelete

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