It is a blessing to be able to share this weekly devotional with you during this season of Lent. We are asking ourselves this question throughout Lent, “How do we see God?”
Matthew 5:8 tells us, “the pure in heart see God.” Can we become pure in heart? If so, how do we do this?
Let us begin this Lenten journey that includes times of: self–examination and repentance; prayer and fasting; self–denial; reading and meditating on God's Word.
First, what is the season of Lent? According to www.umc.org, “Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means "spring." The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.
Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.”
This first week of Lent our focus is living lives with humility. The dictionary defines humility as “the state of being humble.” Biblically, humility or humbleness is a quality of being courteously respectful of others. The opposite of being humble is selfishness.
The dictionary defines selfish as “devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others. Characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself.”
From Philippian 2:1-4, the Apostle Paul tells us, therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with the Spirit, if any tenderness & compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit & of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In humility value others above yourselves and yet, our culture encourages just the opposite. It is all about me. It is what I want. It is how I want it and when I want it. I don’t care about your feelings at all. I only care about myself. I am entitled to have it my way!
We cannot live with true humility unless we give up our focus on self.
Christian Theologian C.S. Lewis once said, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
The first step to becoming “pure in heart” is to give up our focus on self. This leads us to becoming “pure in heart.” Being pure in heart means that we have integrity of character. As faithful followers of Jesus, this means we live in and with honesty, love, simplicity & mystery. Living our lives with humility, placing others first.
So, “How do we see God?” Matthew 5:8 tells us the pure in heart see God. This week put “Self / Selfishness” on the Cross. Pray for God to guide you with the power of the Holy Spirit, to see yourself less and to see others more. Intentionally working on becoming “pure in heart.”
Questions for Reflection: Read Philippians 2:1-4
1. In what ways am I selfish? Make a list.
2. Do I see the people God places in my life (at school, in my family, at college,
where I work, where I worship, in my community)?
3. How can I “look to the interests” of others before my own interests?
4. Write a prayer to God to give you the gift of humility.
I hope you find this time of reflection a time of growing in faith as we journey to the cross together, seeking to become “pure in heart.”
Journeying Together,
Suzanne
