Sacrifice

As we come upon Lent we are asked to sacrifice something in our lives. The first thing we are asked to sacrifice is our desire to eat meat on Fridays throughout Lent. Then we are asked to sacrifice or give up something that means a lot to us. We do this because Jesus sacrificed himself for us. We also do this in remembrance of the 40 days and 40 nights he spent in the desert. The most important thing it does for us is create more space in our lives for Jesus. When we are consumed by many other things in our lives, it leaves little time to focus on Jesus.

The first question to ask ourselves as we begin to ponder what we want to sacrifice is what consumes my time. What have I devoted myself to, outside of God? This can be the toughest question to honestly answer. Maybe a part of what we need to sacrifice is something that draws our attention away from what the Bible teaches us. For instance, instead of completely giving up television we can give up certain shows that set bad examples. Every time you feel the urge to break your sacrifice stop and say a prayer.

Take this time to truly invite God into your life. In the midst of sacrificing we can sometimes find a positive outcome or experience that we did not expect. One goal for this Lent is to look for the positive that comes out of what we have sacrificed. Watching for these moments of improvement or connections with God can help us through the six weeks of Lent.

Carrie Aimers, Retreat Minister