I was kind of grumpy today about that foods that I had to abstain from.... but it did make me realize how 'freely' I eat on a normal basis. A small scoop of mac n cheese here, nibble on one cookie for a 'taste test' there, licking fingers, etc.... immediate gratification through my taste buds.
One thing I haven't mentioned yet that is the key in this whole experiment in conjunction with Lent, is that giving up/abstaining from certain foods isn't really worth much in the end if it doesn't bring me closer to Christ. Giving up something for the sake of giving it up is purposeless if I don't use it to gain in my relationship with Christ. I don't want something I give up to cause me to just think about myself more...Here's a great quote I read today.
Evangelical Christian author Eric Metaxas shared in a reflection how some view the idea of giving things up for Lent as "oppressive" when the occassion is actually a period of rejoicing for others.
"All this talk of self-examination and re-commitment sounds 'oppressive' and 'gloomy' to contemporary minds, including those belonging to Christians. For most moderns 'the central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself,'" writes Metaxas.
He adds, "During Lent, Christians, as a friend of mine once put it, 'rehearse — in the most basic meaning of that word — the story of our salvation, starting with the Fall and culminating in Good Friday.' And in this rehearsal, 'a consistent picture of God emerges: the God who takes the initiative in reconciling us to Himself.'
Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-reminded-that-lent-is-about-giving-up-to-gain-and-grow-90060/#vGp1bHMQYDUMgGr8.99
"If the goal is merely the giving up of something without taking up of something more significant, the focus is just merely on the stuff which we give up or really, the focus is on the practice of giving up something rather than giving into Jesus — or in other words, our solidarity with Jesus. In truth, it becomes about us...," writes Cho.
"Anything that produces rituals, expressions, practices, and the like — without ultimately inviting us to a deeper understanding and worship of the Living God…lends itself to empty religion. And what we need isn't more religion. We need Gospel," he adds, meaning "a Gospel that cuts into the heart of humanity with a grace that compels us to not just merely to salvation but a life committed to justice, reconciliation, and redemption."
Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-reminded-that-lent-is-about-giving-up-to-gain-and-grow-90060/#vGp1bHMQYDUMgGr8.99
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