Dear Family and Friends,

This is just a gentle reminder that this coming Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the 40 weekday period leading up to Easter.

Lent is observed by Catholics and some Protestant churches.

It’s a period set aside to truly contemplate what our Lord did for us on that cross.

It’s a time when we sacrifice something (such as certain foods, fun or K-Dramas) to remember the sacrifice of our Lord.

if you’ve never observed Lent, perhaps this is a good year to start.

Those of us who have observed Lent did so fasting something, hoping it would lead us to closer to God.

But before we jump head first into fasting, let’s ask ourselves these tough questions: Did fasting work for me? Did fasting turn my life in the complete opposite direction?

Perhaps your experience ended like my first fast – hungry and grumpy. Rather than looking to God for what was gained, I ended up looking at myself and what I lost…

As we begin the countdown to Easter Sunday and prepare our hearts for Lent, here are a few suggestions to help us fix our gaze on where it should be – our Lord.

First, read the following passages.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭111‬:‭10‬ NIV‭

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”  ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV

“The fear of the Lord leads to life.”  Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV

As used here, fear does not mean to be afraid of the Lord.

Fear of the Lord means to be in awe of Him, to respect, revere and receive the Lord.

When viewed collectively, these passages tell us that our faith begins with fearing the Lord.

The next step is to challenge ourselves and come up with 40 different reasons why we should be in awe of the Lord. Forty individually unique reasons why He deserves our respect and reverence.

Make these reasons personal to our lives. Reflecting on our past sins, and how the blood of Jesus washed them away. Rejoicing in His blessings and teachings, imagining where we would be if not for the Lord.

Let’s do this daily through Lent. Writing them down in our journals to serve as reminders whenever we feel ourselves drifting back to Me mode.

Let’s not be like the Church in Sardis, waiting for Jesus to warn us to:

“Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent.”  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬ ESV

Praying that our sacrifices be meaningful and our love for Jesus reaches new heights!

In love always,