Ash Wednesday & Beginning of Lent

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the season of Lent. It is a time of reflection, repentence, resistance, forgiveness, renewal and refreshment as we take time to walk with Christ through the wilderness to Holy week and, ultimately, the cross, the grave and the resurrection from the dead.

We REFLECT

We reflect on our lives, we reflect on the message of Scripture and the gospels. We reflect on our relationship with Christ – where we’ve come, who we are, where we are headed and our walk with Christ.

We REPENT

We are mindful of our physical and spiritual limitations and faults. We have sinned and, as Paul wrote, Romans 3:23, we have fallen “… short of the glory of God“. But, God loves us so much, He has given us a route out of of sins and the wages of those sins which is death. We bring our sins to the altar of God, we confess, we repent – which means to turn away from.

We RESIST

We resist the temptations, the urges, to sin. As Joseph did, in reaction to Potiphars wife, we run from those temptations and those urges.

We are FORGIVEN as we FORGIVE

We learn the true value of forgiveness when we forgive. In the story of the adultress woman, John 8:7, Jesus told the townspeople, who stood there with rocks in hand, “Let Him who is without sin cast the first stone”. A true lesson of forgiveness as they had all sinned. None of them qualified to cast that first stone – none except Jesus.

When they dropped their rocks and left, Jesus walked over to the woman and asked, “Woman, where are your accusers?”. The woman looked around, wiping her eyes, and responded, “They’re not here” to which Christ replies, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more”.

We are RENEWED

Paul wrote, Titus 3:4-5, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,“

Paul also wrote, Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.“

As we commit our ways to the Lord, as we walk with Him though these 40 days of Lent, and beyond, as we REFLECT, REPENT, RESIST, FORGIVE and earnestly give ourselves to and seek Christ’s guidance, and as we allow Him to do a good work in us, we are renewed.

We are REFRESHED

When we get a good night’s sleep, we are refreshed. We we take a nice shower, or bath, get cleaned up and dressed, we are refreshed. When we get into the word, the Bible, when we pray, when we spend time with Jesus, we are refreshed.

We are REDEDICATED

As we walk through these 40-days of Lent with Christ, in mindful study of scripture, reflecting on our own relationships with Christ, let us rededicate ourselves, our lives, our being to the One who created us, who died for us, who saved us by and through His blood. Jesus Christ.

Are you ready for the journey? Let’s go.