“The love of Christ both wounds and heals, it fascinates and frightens, it kills and makes alive, it draws and repulses. There can be nothing more terrible or wonderful than to be stricken with love for Christ so deeply that the whole being goes out in a pained adoration of His person, an adoration that disturbs and disconcerts while it purges and satisfies and relaxes the deep inner heart.”― A.W. Tozer
The refining that comes with the love of God is painful but satisficing.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, and also Valentines Day.
This is interesting because for lent many people give things up for 40 days as a sacrifice in reverence to the sacrifice Christ made. But being it Valentines there will be things giving that you may have given up…. ironic.
I remember one time I was given chocolates or something that I had stopped eating, just because I wanted to stop eating sugar. This wasn’t for lent or anything but just to have better eating habits. It was tempting to eat just one but then I told my kids they could have it and they lit up. They were so excited. Their parent gave up something for them.
John 3:16 says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Now I’m not trying to compare my thing to what God did because His was on a grand scale and mine is absolutely not. But we should be as excited as my kids were...God gave up His one and only Son for us, to forgive us. To give us something so special brings an excitement like no other.
I think that because God did this out of love for us, we can also give out of love and sacrifice.
It is the time of year we all reflect and think if there is anything we want to give up or is there anything we want to add. Over the years during the Lenten season, I have given up things and I have decided too actually as something. Do I want to give up something that I shouldn’t eat, or social media, or whatever…. The options are endless. OR do I want to add on something like 5 more minutes to my devo and prayer time with God. Sitting still in the presence of God.
I’ve done my best at both, and the most successful thing was the spending more time with God.
John 15:4 says, Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
This season is about leaning into the story of Jesus and really knowing and understanding His sacrifice.
Speaking of seasons Spring is one of my favorite times of year because when things have died off for winter there is then new growth that comes after that.
I love seeing all the green and all the beautiful flowers that come up as well.
This reminds me often of God. The death and renewal that happens.
John 20:15-16, “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
We start lent season at the end of winter and then we end it in spring. The visual change in nature is beautiful. The change that also happens to up during this season lent in our hearts and life as we have given up something or added time with God. Because we have put our focus on the life and death of Jesus.
So as Spring is coming take in the beauty of new life.
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