Intentional Self-Denial

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1  

Dear Friends in Christ,

One of the Lenten practices to which we are invited is self-denial. That’s a rather counter-cultural practice, isn’t it! It might invoke images of medieval torture chambers, hairshirts and self-flagellation. But Christian self-denial is not self-hatred or self-negation. Christian self-denial is the denial of the idolatry of the self in favor of honoring God. In our Lenten disciplines of self-denial, we make room in our lives for God, giving up a luxury or habit of time to make space to grow closer to God and live more of our lives in God’s presence.

We might give up eating out for lunch regularly, and instead use that time for prayer and a simple meal, or perhaps donating money that might have been spent on those lunches to a food pantry to help others. We clear time from our leisure habits in order to make time to study and contemplate Holy Scriptures, or to seek God’s presence in silence, or to pray for the needs of others.

We find in this practice, that soon we chafe at the loss of those small luxuries, and again crave our old habits. But if we are intentional about filling those loses with closeness to God, we find the strength to endure that small suffering. And perhaps we will better remember the presence and power of God when we face suffering that we do not choose.

What are you giving up this Lent? What are you taking on in its place that brings you closer to God?

Yours in Christ,

-Tom