16th Day of Lent

photo courtesy of davidsmommy.com

I didn't grow up observing Lent; it's a fairly new idea to me. I should rephrase that - taking it seriously is a fairly new idea to me. As a child I had friends who would give up things like chocolate for Lent and my inward response ran along the following lines: 

"What a silly way to show one's devotion! As if giving up chocolate is actually going to help them understand Christ's sacrifice any better... I don't observe Lent, and I have a great relationship with God... Are they just giving it up so they get 'brownie points' for heaven? What a silly, works-based idea that is!"

Judgmental, I know.

Lately I've been taking another look at the traditions of the church and have been able to see the value in it all. The act of disciplining ones self to daily thematic readings; meditating on the purpose of the cross; self-examination; making a concerted effort to pray about specific church ministries; all these suddenly have value to me. While I haven't chosen anything to sacrifice for Lent this year, I do love the spiritual discipline of the season and find myself drawn to the idea of doing more to observe it for next year.

Today's post is going to ramble a little as I have another topic I wanted to talk about, too.

photo courtesy of ubdavid.org

Today's reading was from John 3:1-17, the section where Nicodemus meets Jesus up on the roof top in the dead of night to ask him questions. It's obvious from the beginning that he admires Jesus, calling him "Rabbi" from the very first. What struck me today was how flabbergasted Nicodemus was by Jesus' description of being born again - born of the Holy Spirit.

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8 (NKJV)

The Holy Spirit works like the wind - you can't see the wind itself, just its effects. Jesus outright explains the working of the Holy Spirit to Nicodemus, and he is floored by such an awesome mystery. And yet I take our gift of the Holy Spirit for granted... for shame!

I'm humbled by that realization today, and my prayer is that the Lord would make me more like Nicodemus. I want to sit at Jesus feet in wonder as He explains His mission to me. I don't want to take Him for granted anymore.