Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent.
Lent is all about repentance, spiritual growth, and preparation to celebrate with the Church the greatest event that has taken place in history – Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. So let’s talk about the ashes.
In my mind, the ashes represent death; death to self, pride, sin, death to something in my life that is not pleasing to God. So in lieu of looking for ashes today I spent time asking God to search my heart. Psalm 139:23-24. Not surprisingly, He has impressed a couple of things upon me that I know need to be confessed, repented of, and walked away from. One such thing is actually what I’m doing with my time.
Lately I’ve begun to see a new pattern develop in my spare time. It begins with a Google Play Store search for fun games, or “increase your brain power” kind of games. Next step: download newly discovered games. Next: Begin playing game #1, and decide whether it’s worth of my time at which point the game either stays or goes until I’ve landed on the game that is “worthy”. Days will pass. Maybe even weeks. And at some point I realize that I am thinking about the game. Fitting in a few rounds throughout the day while a special contest is going on. Or reaching that really hard challenge in the morning while I’m fresh. Inevitably I finish off the day with more and more and more game playing. Next step: I realize this game is taking over and I’m not making good use of my time so I delete the game. A few days later when I miss playing the game I repeat the process.
You know what God is saying to me? He is bigger and better than mindless entertainment. His plans for me are bigger and better than being addicted to the challenge and His rewards are far better than the confetti flying across my device screen and little animals jumping with joy.
The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it…. Psalm 24:1 is my focus verse for this week.
My time is His because my heart is His. I trust God to take my confession and make beauty out of the ashes that come from me handing over another small piece of my life for His use and for His glory.