Lent: A Rescued Heart
“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned — everyone — to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6, ESV)
The Lenten season is in full swing, so some of you will have already determined what you will give up…but what are you ready to take in? Lent offers us a position in which we empty ourselves before the Lord; but in that position, there’s also an offering: an offering to be filled again through our Lord Jesus. So, what abundance does Christ offer you? We don’t want to miss this opportunity to be filled by trying to forge our own path apart from the guidance of our Shepherd. Even some of our best intentions, such as fasting, can easily transition from a spiritual practice to a fleshly one. We can find ourselves in a position where we readily wrestle with our flesh but not our hearts—ready to give God something cheaper than what He deserves.
What if I told you that Lent was a season of giving and receiving more than taking away? As I reflect on Isaiah 53, a passage used often during this Lenten season, I get excited about the gift of a Savior. A gift we did nothing to deserve. Christ took the weight of our iniquities even while we were still sinners. As the text explains, He allowed Himself to be crushed for our transgressions, and today we are reminded of the joy of that sacrifice. Christ gave up everything to offer us right standing with God, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to add to what’s been done.
Giving up chocolate, social media, or online shopping won’t lead Jesus to love you more than He already does. My encouragement to you this week is not to focus on the subtraction but on the addition. In all things, open the door for Christ to join in. On good days, give Him praise and on the days where the struggle is real, remember the gift: He’s offered to take our iniquity and to forgive us, even though we’ve insisted on our own way. Lent isn’t a season about perfection but a season to remember what was perfectly done for us.
Dear Lord, Praise be to your name, for you have taken away our iniquities and freed us from sin. Let us fall more in love with you this Lenten season as you strengthen us. Lead us not into the temptation to make much of ourselves, and let us be willing to be filled with your Spirit. Amen.
