Lent is the 40-day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday where we journey with Jesus to the cross and rejoice in His resurrection. At this time, we intentionally remind ourselves of our need for Jesus so that when we celebrate on Easter, we really understand it. Some people do this by fasting or giving up something in their lives, while others take on new habits to bring them closer to Him.
When I tell people I work for JourneyWise, they often ask, “What is that?” JourneyWise is a special phrase, but what does it mean? It comes from a saying that Shane’s grandmother used to share. She would say, “I’d rather be JourneyWise.” We like to define becoming JourneyWise as making every step mean something along the way. We’d rather be JourneyWise than book-smart.
It’s the same way with our faith, especially in this season. We can know about Lent, but how does the practice of Lent make its way into our everyday lives? We’ve come up with 3 simple ways to become JourneyWise this Lenten season:
1 – Love Jesus.
If I asked you if you loved Jesus, your answer would most likely be, “Sure, I love Jesus!” Today, let’s ask another question: how am I loving Jesus? This Lent, our invitation is to intentionally spend time loving Jesus. Thank Him. Praise Him. Give him time and space in your life. When we love someone, we spend time learning about, talking to, and talking about them. Your intentional pursuit of Jesus can look like taking time to do a devotional or study, talking with Jesus in prayer, or even listening to faith-based podcasts and music.
2- Love Like Jesus.
Another important question we can ask this Lent is how am I serving? Lent isn’t just a time for self-reflection and “giving up” things. It should be an intentional period of becoming more like Jesus and that means loving like Him. Find a way to serve him in a different or new way this season, maybe individually or maybe as a family or group. That could be finding and plugging into a volunteer opportunity or simply calling someone who might need extra love.
3- Make Every Step Matter
Slow down! You’ve heard the phrase, “It’s about the journey, not the destination.” While the end of our Lenten journey leads us to celebrating Jesus’ resurrection (and what a beautiful celebration it is!), we can’t skip over the journey to the cross. If we miss the cross, we miss the full beauty of the resurrection. So slow down and take in the journey. Spend some time in reflection and prayer. In confession and self-examination. Ask Jesus to reveal things to you along the way that will make the celebration of His resurrection this year even sweeter.
I’m praying for you, friend! Let’s keep journeying and becoming JourneyWise together.