Today is the first day of Lent - the 40 day season of fasting that is traditionally observed leading to Easter Sunday. It is a reminder of the 40 days Jesus fasted in the desert, and the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. It is, in fact, a wilderness season. Its intention is for us to lay down something that, in so doing, will direct our lives closer to the heart of God. So what gets in your way? Is God inviting you to let go of something for the next 40 days, in order to make more space for Him?
I haven’t always been one to observe this Lenten practice of fasting. I’m not sure if I didn’t fully understand it or there was just some sort of resistance on my part, but this year I feel the invitation. For me, it is to fast my nightly practice of watching television. I have felt this invitation (or conviction) for quite some time now, but have been resistant. Lent seems like the perfect time to finally do it.
During a workshop I took a couple of months ago, my friend Katie said, “Sometimes growth feels like shrinking.”It was one of those things that really caught my attention. I didn’t fully understand what was in it for me, but I knew God wanted me to hear it. In today’s society, it seems the trajectory always needs to be upward; if it isn’t, we often feel like something isn't right. Even John the Baptist experienced this.
When Jesus stepped into his time of ministry and John stepped aside, John’s followers questioned him. John’s response was, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 ESV)
What in your life needs to decrease in order to give room for God’s presence (or your awareness of it) to increase?
I am reminded of John 15:1-2 that says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” Notice it isn’t just the fruitless branches that get trimmed. Even the fruitful places need pruning from time to time. There is a time for growth, and there is a time for cutting back. In fact, the cutting back is actually what allows for and encourages new growth.
What needs pruning in your life? Can you trust the wisdom of the Vinedresser and allow Him to tend to the branches of your heart?
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