What competes for my attention? What seeks my mind that takes away from something else? Or should I say Someone else?
Lent starts this week. It is labeled as a time period (40 days) of prayer, fasting and meditating on His Word. Preparing hearts and minds for Holy Week. It resembles Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness while being tempted by the enemy, Satan. During this time Jesus prayed to the Father, fasted from food and drink and quoted God’s Word while resisting the enemy who was trying to distract Jesus. Distract Him from seeking God.
So, the question that I have been thinking about is, “What is distracting me from seeking God?” How has the enemy been trying to tempt me to fill any voids BESIDES the Lord, Himself? His Word tells me that He is the Living Water and that I will thirst no more. John 4:14 and John 7:39. That He is the Bread of Life and I will never be hungry. John 6:35. There are books written about these verses because of their meanings. But the bottom line is…where do I go to fill any voids?
Do I fill any voids with food, drink, filling my schedule, entertaining my mind by scrolling social media or should I say “numbing” myself so I don’t ‘feel?’ How about making myself “more” by cutting down someone else out loud or in my mind? What eats away at my time? What distracts me from being “filled” and seeking God?
All of these things I listed, and there is SO much more, are measly substitutes. The enemy wants to convince me they will satisfy me, but they don’t and they won’t. They may feel good initially. May feel important initially. But they will NEVER satisfy. Only He will satisfy.
So, during this Lent season, what will I be fasting from? What will I deny myself of? What will I not let distract me from preparing my heart and mind for Holy week? Will it be the Mexican Coke that I enjoy or the 70% chocolate whenever I am stressed? Will it be the criticalness that goes through my mind or mouth? Will it be social media or the games on my phone that I use to block out the world around me? Maybe it will be the calendar and allowing nothing to happen on a certain day? What I do know is this, during these 40 days, as I prepare for Holy Week, I will reflect, confess, repent and meditate on His Word. Preparing my heart and my mind. Deepening my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I will practice this while denying myself. I listened recently to something called “The Great Exchange.” Jesus got what I deserved (penalty for my sins) and He deserves my faith/my relationship.
I am certain about this, that whatever I decide to fast from, the enemy will try and derail me. To distract me. To trip me up. To keep me from seeking God. Some days I am confident that I will stand firm and other days I am sure I will stumble. And when those days happen, I will remind myself that His mercies are new every morning. Lamentations 3:23. And I will start again.
I am ONE story,
Kristy