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?  

Noise Pollution!

I woke up to the screech of a high pitched siren sound piercing through my bedroom window. It was not varied, like that of a tornado siren that intensifies and quiets as it rotates round and round, but rather, constant and persistent.

It made my shoulders tighten and my eyes squint.

It did not go away -- has not gone away.

I would liken it to fingernails scratching down a chalk board.

Anyone else reeling from the mere thought of it?

The kids woke up, noticing the same sound and wondered what it was.

The dog even laid in his kennel whimpering. 

Noise pollution. I don't know what the source is, but that’s what I am calling it.  I looked it up in the dictionary.

noise pollution

n.

Environmental noise that is annoying, distracting, or physically harmful.

And I thought to myself -- barely over the noise that was driving me crazy -- life is full of noise pollution

and I don’t want to add to it.

I don’t want to add to the noise of sarcasm.

I don’t want to add to the noise of unbelief.

I don’t want to add to the noise of criticism.

I don’t want to add to the noise of lies.

I don’t want to add to the noise of complaining.

I don’t want to add to the noise of gossip.

I don’t want to add to the noise of busyness.

I don’t want to add to the noise of negative self talk.

You must admit –there’s a lot of noise out there – environmental noise, emotional noise, exasperating noise.

There are noises that both come out of our mouths and echo around in our hearts and minds – noises that are annoying, distracting and perhaps most often -- harmful.

They creep in, even when we try not to listen to them and agitate the soul.

I’m convicted. I may not be able to do anything about the high-pitched noise that is in the air today, but I can do something about the noise I make.

I don’t want to add to the noise and pollute the air and hearts around me.

I want to add to the peace. 

I want the sounds that I make to be edifying, encouraging and filled with hope.

Oh, Jesus, I need your grace to not add to the noise, but to bring peace.

Hooked by Criticism

I felt the sharp point pierce my skin and then dig deeper still. My stomach sank to my feet and my head began to spin silently, as the barbed hook of criticism (the non-construtive sort) lodged itself in to my heart. It wasn’t that it was a very big hook, it just was that it hit me in a tender spot and triggered a pain that rippled through out my body. Critical words, whether big or small, direct or indirect, hurt.

Regretfully, as much as I have experienced the pointed jab of criticism, I have cast the hooked line myself and injured others. I hate that. It humbles me. It makes me sad.

I don’t know why we do it. Part of our sinful humanness, I guess. Perhaps it’s to prove to ourselves that we are “okay.” We fear being inadequate and so we try to elevate ourselves by injuring others. It’s been said that “hurt people hurt people.” I think that is true. Or maybe our words are a flowing over of years of fermenting bitterness or a reenactment of what we experienced somewhere in our past. I’m sure there are a million reasons. I wish I understood it better, both for my protection on the receiving and delivering end.

Thinking back to when I was working as a PA, I recalled that when a person came in to the office with a fish hook in their finger the procedure to remove it would be to continue to push the hook through. Pulling it back out through the direction from which it came, was difficult and even more painful. Following the arch of the hook and moving the point forward, until the hook was out, was the best way to remove it.

So, I’ve been pushing through and working out a hook over the past couple of days. The gentle hand of God is helping me. I’m trying to use His truths about Himself, about me and about His plan for me, to help wiggle the criticism out. I am feeling more at peace, and learning to depend on Him more, in new ways. He is releasing me, slowly but surely, from the injurious effects, and also gently reminding me of the pain that my own barbed words of criticism can cause. In the end, I now see how He is taking this time to further grow me and change me. Again.

Dear Lord, Thank you for your faithfulness in helping us in all circumstances. When we are hurt by others, please help us to see the truth and trust you for all things in the process. Help us to be sensitive to where others are, to watch our words, to encourage and build up rather than discourage and tear apart. If we have hurt others, help us to be bold to seek forgiveness and seek to restore the relationship. Thank you for being gracious and merciful to us. Amen