Giving Up More Than Stuff for the Sake of Jesus

I’m a bit late.

Ash Wednesday was last week, the beginning of the Lenten season. 

It’s long been a tradition in some denominations of the church to ‘sacrifice’ something in ones life for the sake of Christ, as we walk the road with Him, up until Resurrection Day – Easter Sunday.

I hear and overhear people talking about what they are ‘giving up’ for Lent.  Chocolate.  Soda. Popcorn.  Straightening their hair.  Curling their hair. 

And people (including my children) are asking me, “What did you give up for Lent?”

I haven’t given up anything. Yet.  Sure, I could afford to give up dessert (although, truthfully, there may be an ulterior motive involved), or fixing my hair a certain way, or sacrificing a particular snack for Jesus.

But this year, it just isn’t resonating with my soul.

It seems – well, and I mean no offense by this – it seems cheap.

And although I can’t be certain, I’m starting to think that Jesus may appreciate something a bit deeper than our sacrificing stuff for His sake.

It’s not that I don’t think He cares about our willingness to give up something for Him, it’s just that I think what Jesus is really about is our heart.

And so I’m wondering (and maybe you’d like to wonder along with me?), what if we give up something deeper, something more meaningful, something that will change us to be more like Jesus?

What if we give up worry?

Or give up doubting the Lord?

Or give up controlling others?

Or give up complaining?

What if we give up judging others and criticizing?

Or give up comparing ourselves to someone else?

Or give up fearing our future?

Or give up our bitterness?

What if we give up having things our way?

Better late than never, as the old saying goes.  I’m still working on asking the Lord which one I might consider giving up this year. Sadly enough, there are more than a few from the list above that I can choose. 

This is not going to be easy ...

What about you?