Wednesday, March 9
Jonah 3:1-4:11
Psalms 32, 95, 102, 130, 143
Hebrews 12:1-14
Luke 18:9-14
You just gotta love Lent.
OK, that might seem odd to some people. What with the emphasis on death ("Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return."), fasting, introspection, self-denial and such, one might consider the season to be morbid or even depressing.
There's not room here to discuss the benefits of these actions. Suffice it to say that spiritual medicine, like the syrup we took as children, doesn't always taste good.
That aside, what is so lovable about Lent is the opportunity to form new habits.
It is often said that it takes between 21 and 28 days to form a new habit. More recent research demonstrates that the time it takes for an action to become automatic varies. For example, drinking a glass of water every day might become habitual after 18 days. Doing 50 sit-ups every day might take two months or longer. (Duh!) Lent, being 40 days, is a great time to develop some new spiritual habits.
Where to begin? Our lesson from Hebrews is quite helpful in this regard. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…." We are Christians. That means it is all about knowing and loving Jesus. The more we know, the more we love.
This Lent, I encourage you to fix your eyes on Jesus. Consider his ministry on our behalf. Consider his sacrificial, substitutionary death. Consider his authority in life and power over death. Consider his coming in glory. Consider the things he has done in your life. Consider how you can serve him each day.
Try it every day for forty days. A new habit will be born. You will have grown as a Christian.
And you might even begin to love Lent.
Fr. Bob Henson