A bit of a challenge

Many times, when observing religious traditions or holidays, I think it can be easy to go through the motions. Let's face it, if you've been to a church service on Easter Sunday where the liturgy went something like, "He is risen. He is risen indeed", I'm going to bet that when you said, "He is risen indeed" you didn't really understand that you were proclaiming the actual resurrection of Jesus Christ. So why even say it? Why even keep the tradition?

I think we do things often because we feel like we should or because we have always done them. I'm not sure what Jesus would have thought of our motivations of guilt and tradition. I think He would have been rather insulted actually. Jesus didn't seem too keen on folks keeping man's tradition for the sake of tradition or because they felt like it would make them look more pious or spiritual. No, Jesus seemed to cut to the chase. He was after the heart of each man, woman and child, and frankly, He seemed like couldn't care less about what "observances" they kept.

So why keep lent? Why spend weeks leading up to Easter establishing "holy habits" or making sacrifices of TV or chocolate or T-bone steak? .................

.....Because you just might meet Christ there. Maybe, just maybe, in the effort of fasting or establishing a new disciple, you just might come face to face with your creator, redeemer, sustainer and friend.

In the prayer on my previous post, I asked God to "create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me." You know the funny thing? He is doing just that - He actually answered my prayer, but not with a mystic warming of my chest or "Jesus bumps". Not with a bolt of lightning or a crack of thunder. No, the Holy Spirit came and stirred my heart like a glass of milk you've just added chocolate to. He revealed to me that I don't have a very clean heart at all. As a matter of fact, I am more selfish than ever. As I look at my schedule, my plans, my budget, my week, my time, my ideas, my desires......I was blown away by the self-centeredness that I found. See, I like to think of myself as a humble guy - easy to get along with and self sacrificing. But when it really comes down to it, I want what's best for me. I want to take care of #1 first and put God and others second. My pride swells to an unbearable size...as I sat back and reflected on this new self awareness.....I wasn't sure what to do, what to say, or even how to pray. All I could muster was a simple, "Jesus, I want to be more like you. Lord I need more of you. Less of me and more of you."

I just kept saying that over and over again, "Less of me and more of you. Less of me, and more of you."

Will you pray that prayer with me tonight? -- Father, I want to be more like you. I need more of you in my life. Help me, God to make time to slow down and allow you to take control. Teach me your ways, oh Lord. And Holy Spirit, keep my mind full of thoughts that are pleasing to you. Help me to put others before myself and to keep my relationship with Jesus as a top priority. Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me - Amen.