 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy is everlasting.” Psalm 118: 1 Meditate or Reflect
I have a very fond memory from my childhood of my southern grandmother who upon amazement, or surprise would say “for goodness sake!” Do you have your own memory of that expression, too? And, at its core, the saying is true – for goodness sake. All that is good comes from God or is a blessing from God. Today’s verse from Psalm 118 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” Goodness is the condition of being morally honorable, being beneficial for another, and pleasing to God. In this verse we not only proclaim that God is good, we also learn how to be in relationship with God because of His goodness – gratitude, giving thanks to Him. Reflect on the goodness of God. Take a breath, and consider the ways He has been good to you, beneficial in His mercy to you.  “But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison.” Genesis 39:21 Meditate or Reflect
Kindness can be the smallest of gestures or the grandest of actions. The translation of kindness that we see in the Bible means pleasant, gracious, or serviceable. Whether you have received a kindness or given a kindness, you are befriending another soul. We learn that this is the way of Jesus when He demonstrates service to others by washing the disciple’s feet (John 13: 5-20). And we see it in our Scripture for today from Genesis, while Joseph was in prison God extended kindness to Joseph by leading him to find favor with the warden. But, look at God – He didn’t just extend kindness to Joseph, He was with him. An essential feature of kindness is to be with or to befriend another, even for a brief moment. Reflect on the kindness of God. Take a breath, and consider the ways He has been with you and extended you kindness.  “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3: 9 Meditate or Reflect
When I think of patience, inevitably, I am also thinking about time – how much time must be invested, or lost, or sacrificed, or tested. The fast pace of our world today leaves little room for patience. The world’s pace reminds me of what the poet Wordsworth said, “The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.” It is no wonder that patience is a fruit of the Spirit that challenges most of us these days. Patience is persistence, perseverance in doing well, abiding under trial, and endurance; and, God’s patience with us is often described as “long-tempered.” Reflect on the verse from 2 Peter, and consider the grace of God’s patience toward you. In His patience, God waits for you. Take a breath, and in this moment consider the ways God has exercised His patience with you.  “The Lord lift up His face to you, and give you peace.” Numbers 6: 26 Meditate or Reflect
Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace that means being at ease, unharmed, harmony, and wholeness. Peace is a state of being that lacks nothing and has no fear of being troubled. Yet, we also know there is no perfect peace apart from God. Today’s verse comes from the Aaronic blessing in Numbers – the word’s God gave to Moses to bless Aaron. It is truly a blessing of peace that “God lift up His face to you” (God sees you in this very moment), and “gives you peace.” Take a breath, and in this moment acknowledge where your peace comes from for this day.  You will make known to me the way of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16: 11 Meditate or Reflect
Sometimes joy is outwardly expressed in an upbeat, positive emotion; yet, more often joy is experienced as a sublime knowing, or confidence. Joy is the assurance that God is in control. We can be “ok” in His presence, or we can delight in His presence – either way is an experience of joy with God. This verse reminds us that God is in control because He “will make known to me the way of life.” And historically, the “right hand” is a symbol of power. God is in control, and that is a great relief, a type of joy. Take a breath in this moment, and acknowledge God is in control of this day.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. John 3: 16 Meditate or Reflect
Spend some time with this verse, making room for receiving how much God loves you. Perhaps, memorize or review this verse throughout the day, allowing it to guide your thoughts today. Heart, Mind, and Soul God is the One source of pure and perfect love. Focus on God in your heart, and feel His great love for you. Take a moment. Set your mind to the truth of how much God loves you – “He gave His only Son.” Tune in to your soul, the only eternal part of you that will not perish because of Christ. Take another moment.  For many Christian denominations, this week begins a forty-day period known as Lent. Early church father Irenaus of Lyons (130-200) described a spiritual practice similar to Lent, but it only lasted a few days. And, a forty-day spiritual discipline is first mentioned at the Council of Nicea in 325. So, what exactly is Lent? The origin of the word lent comes from the Middle English word “lencten,” which means to lengthen, particularly in the lengthening of days at the approach of Spring. As a spiritual practice, Lent is a time of spiritual reflection, self-examination, and self-denial. Lent has historically been marked by fasting or giving something up; in this way, the removal of temptations or distractions can have the effect of drawing closer to Christ by creating intentional time for spiritual connection, and it can further develop self-discipline for the growth of spiritual discipline.
My personal experiences have focused on the “giving up” part of Lent. Since my childhood, I have worshipped in many different denominations where an observation of Lent was either encouraged in one denomination, or non-existent in another. For me, the “giving up” for Lent has sometimes been food or beverage related, and at other times technology related. To be honest, the fasting or giving up for Lent hasn’t ever really deepened my spiritual connection to God. Instead, fasting for Lent has sometimes been too much of a focus on self – the emphasis of what I am giving up, or an unintended pride of what I am “sacrificing,” or shame because I just couldn’t last the full forty days. And yet, I believe an intentional forty-day span could offer a deep and meaningful spiritual experience. What if Lent was a spiritual practice emphasizing what we can put in, rather than give up? If you know me, you know I have a deep love for the Fruit of the Spirit – I frequently bring the focus on the Fruit of the Spirit into a therapy session, and the Fruit of the Spirit is part of my own daily and mindful focus for deeper spiritual connection and walking with God. So, I am inviting you to join me in experiencing Lent in a different way this year. From Ash Wednesday to Easter, on the blog I will offer a scripture related to a Fruit of the Spirit selected for that day with guided questions for cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit in daily living. Each day we will focus on one of the nine Fruit of the Spirit and repeat the practice four times for a total of 36 days. Then, during Holy Week, on Holy Wednesday, which will be day 37, we will focus on the sacrifice of the Lord on those particular days of Holy Week. Sundays will be days for personal meditation, prayer, and/or worship. So, in the end, by pouring in the Fruit of the Spirit, we will be giving up the desires of the flesh. "But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5: 22-23 |
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