Journey to Faith

Journey to Faith
Follow your own path

Monday, March 11, 2024

How to Draw Nearer to God this Lenten Season

Most of us are really busy. I'm retired and I'm still really busy. We have our daily schedules, our agendas, our plans and our projects. We like our routines, our meals and our lifestyles. These give us a kind of comfort and stability in this topsy turvy world we live in. How often have you heard yourself say this:
"I don't have enough time to ......" You fill in the blank.

The stuff of life can keep us so busy and so stressed out, we rarely have time to do what Stephen Covey, author of numerous best selling books including "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", calls "Quadrant 2 Activities".

Quadrant 2 activities are those activities which are important but not urgent or pressing. Some of them include planning, prevention and improvement. It includes spiritual practices such as prayer, journaling, fasting, and meditation.  These habits are all crucial to our spiritual and emotional health, but none of them are critical or urgent. Therein lies the crux of the problem. We are addicted to the urgent and we neglect the important, as Stephen Covey says. 


Wake up calls 
Sadly, it is not until life gets uncomfortable and some crisis happens such as a sudden illness or a job loss, a breakup, or an epidemic, that stops us dead in our tracks. It is then - maybe -  that we say "Whoa, wait a minute. Maybe I need to slow down and rethink my priorities". 

When things get uncomfortable, scary, stressful, or painful, it is time to surrender, not resist. God uses everything in our lives to make us more like him and lead us into our destinies, which is - by the way - to be more like his Son, Jesus Christ.

These times are wake-up calls of sorts. He may be leading us away from certain activities, jobs, situations, places, or people. He may be trying to get us to change. He may even want to send us help. 

God is always trying to get our attention onto what really matters. We may resist and rationalize. When God is calling us to let something or someone go, it is important to stay with the discomfort, even when it interrupts our busy lives and messes with our agendas. God has the plan. What we need to do is let go and surrender to it.

Go With the Flow
You've heard the phrase, I'm sure. But that is easier said than done when something difficult happens. We tend to fight it, escape it or look for ways to avoid dealing with it. Yet, none of these is helpful. When difficult situations present themselves, the best thing we can do is to surrender. Deal with whatever it is in a calm and focused manner. Stressing out never helps anybody. 

Recent Story 
So my elderly mom, who lives out of state, has had a few falls recently. I tried to tell her she needs daily care, but she would have none of it. Last week, it happened. She fell and fractured her back. She called me as the EMS team was taking her to the ER. Now, I could have freaked out, but praise God. I didn't. I stayed calm and collected and talked to her all the way to the hospital, thru the xray process, and back to her room, trying my best to keep her calm. At least I was connected to her, even if I wasn't there physically. 

God's Plan is not always clear 
We don't always understand why things happen but we can trust that whatever it is is for our good and His glory although we may not understand in the moment. When the questions whirl thru my mind like the swirling winds of March, my natural tendency is to try to figure it out. It's a hard habit to break. 

We don't have to figure it out. We need not fret or worry. All we have to do is trust and respond in obedience. Like Samuel said when he heard the voice of God, we need to let God know he has our attention, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening", then listen and wait. The answer is always the same.

Come a little closer. Let that go. Trust me. 

Scripture says this: "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." (James 4:8).

For Reflection 
What is it that God is working on and in you today? What is he calling you to let go of or to embrace? Are you willing to listen? To surrender? To obey? Jesus is calling you to come a little closer this season. Perhaps, like me, you sometimes get too caught up in the busyness of doing that you fail to hear the still soft voice of Jesus that beckons us to sit at his feet, just like Mary Magdalene. 

Close your eyes and to this song by Dierks Bentley. Jesus is saying the same thing to us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVGw7FbohY4&feature=kp

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Stay tuned for more on the purpose of Lent and until next time, come a little closer!


Ariel Paz



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