Mar 2, 2009

40 day journey: the easy button



I heard recently that different people are giving up some "newer" vices for Lent this year - from Facebook and blogging to TXT messaging. This can seem easy to some who may lean toward giving up the usual fare of sacrificing sweets, caffeine, porn, sex, meat, swearing, and so on. But one man's ease is another man's struggle.

Recently I spoke with a buddy who is trying to cut out something that has been a part of his life for most of his life... this is something Lent has given him the excuse to get rid of permanently. Then there is another person I know who has decided to cut out certain foods for this period only... as a way to seasonally get more in touch with sacrificially living.

Neither is right or wrong - as long as you maintain that the point of Lent isn't to choose something to do because it's the thing to do. Likewise, your sacrifice shouldn't be abusrdly easy so you can check it off as a religious thing, or something absurdly hard so you can check it off as "proving" your love for God.

The goal is to make sure you understand this - there is no sacrifice you can make for God that will ever trump the sacrifice He made for you.

But your sacrifice can help you realize that.

And if it does, you are on track.

"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

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