Shedding

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Years ago, I dreaded Lent. All I got from it when I was younger was that I had to give up something I loved and fast from eating meat on Fridays. And for a girl who hated fish, it was not much fun.

As I got older and my relationship with the Lord grew, I came to understand the sacrifice a little more.
{click here to learn more about what wiki says about Lent}

But now, after not having really celebrated the season of Lent in a few years (besides the general reflection on my sin and Jesus's sacrifice during Sunday services), I am choosing to celebrate it this year. I don't even know if celebrate is the right term, though Jesus's resurrection is definitely something to celebrate! I have a different outlook on it this year...

We are strangers here on this earth. This is not our eternal home - it's where God has us for now. But sometimes we get so entwined, even enslaved, to it that we absolutely forget who we are and why we are here. And I think the Lenten season is the perfect time to reflect on that and allow God to strip us back down to the creation He intended us to be. And, layer by layer, as He frees us from this world, we see more and more the depravity of our sin and, by comparison, the greatness of our God.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:1-2

I have some shedding to do. I have grown so astoundingly dependent on the things of this world, and it's time for repentance, renewal, and some good quality time with my Father. I am going to take a break from social networking (namely, facebook) and spend much more time digging through His Word and letting Him dig through my heart.

Facebook Conviction

Church today was especially moving. We just started a new sermon series on Titus. We call it "BOOM! Ripple, Ripple. - The gospel and godliness in TITUS". Kyle preached on one verse. Titus 1:1. And wow. He preached it! I got a ton out of the message. (I'll make a point to post a link to the audio of the sermon once it's posted) I know that God will be moving in my life as we go through this series. Kyle made some points that I'm sure will be applied to my life, but what God really stirred in me today was only a by-product of the message. It didn't directly relate. It was related, of course. Because something that was said or addressed caused me to go where I went with God. But it's so cool the way that God can use any words, any lyrics, any melody to get to me.

This morning I was convicted. I was convicted of many things. I was convicted that I am not living my life as a servant - a slave - to Christ. I am not relinquishing control in all areas of my life and therefore not letting God get the glory in all things I do. I am not living as if I'm on mission with God. I'm not allowing Him to do the things He is wanting to do through me. But the real, practical conviction that God brought to me today was about Facebook. I actually don't spend that much time on it, which is why this conviction is unique. I think that God knows I need something concrete - a tangible command - to follow. And this is it. I need to fast from Facebook. I need to spend the time that I would be checking up on people, most of whom are not even a real part of my life, instead learning how to serve my God. If I can spend 20 minutes on Facebook in the morning and turn around and say I don't have time to spend time with God before work then something needs to change. How much better would it be if I spent those 20 minutes getting to know the God of the universe? I need to re-FOCUS on Him. I need to focus on my real relationships instead of my cyber ones. I need to communicate with people in more authentic ways - through phone calls, emails, face-to-face conversations instead of merely "liking" their statuses and commenting on their posts. So that's exactly what I'm going to do - through my Facebook fast.

And please don't misunderstand me. Facebook isn't bad. It can be a wonderful, wonderful tool. But for me, at this time in my life, God has called me to focus on other things. And He's given me this specific task to follow in order to test my obedience and teach me about Himself. Could He have used something else in my life to do this? Sure. But this is what He chose, and I'm choosing to obey.