Lent

One of the most impacting parts of my testimony (in my opinion) is leaving the Catholic faith to join a protestant faith. But really, to me- all that means is just being a Christian, someone who chooses to follow Christ and put their faith in Him. When I was Catholic, I was still Christian, but certainly not living in a close relationship with God as I have the past six years or so.

Anyway...I was raised celebrating the season of Lent; the 40 days leading up to Easter in which certain faiths refrain from eating meat on Fridays, fast, and give up something they like as a sacrifice. I remember on Ash Wednesday, my parents would ask me and my siblings to tell them what it was we "gave up" so they could nag us every time we conveniently forgot keep us accountable in our decision.

In most Protestant faiths that I've encountered, there isn't much emphasis placed on Lent. I think (and I'm certainly no theologian and could possibly be very incorrect) this is because Christians recognize that Jesus already paid it all. The day in which he was pierced in his sides and nailed to a cross is the day our sins-past, present and future, were forgiven. No soda I give up, no social networking site I take a break from, no amount of weight I lose will help me "earn" grace. That's the beauty of Christianity- grace is given freely, daily. Well, it once had a price. But Jesus paid the price already. Once and for all. For everyone.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the Lenten season. In 40 days, we will celebrate Christ's death and resurrection and the new life we were given through that. Even though I may no longer be affiliated with a religion that places great emphasis on Lent- I still think this season can be a time of definite reflection on our lives. Personally speaking, I know there's a lot I can work on to make myself a better reflection of Christ. I need to improve my prayer life. If I say I believe in the power of prayer (and I do!) then why am I doing a half-hearted job? If I believe that God gives us the desires of our heart (Psalms 37:4) then why am I not bringing those desires passionately before Him?

I have some work to do in these 40 days, and for a long time after. What are you going to focus on in this Lenten season?