February 19, 2010

Give It Up!

Today's blog was contributed by Rodney Whitfield, FUMCR Young Adult Pastor.

For years I gave something up for lent. I was doing what I thought you were supposed to do. I gave up soda, sweets, chocolate, ice cream… but at the end of the 40-days (not counting Sundays) I would go back to my cravings. It was all in the name of sacrificing… Right?
Maybe lent is more than just giving something up? I know I will get to do it again in 6 weeks. Is that a real sacrifice? Maybe lent could be life changing… Maybe I could get real and see myself face to face… Maybe I could make a change, which will bring something new, or different in the world.
The last several years I haven’t been giving something up, unless I was doing something else in its place. So don’t just give up starbucks for 6 weeks, but take the money you were spending at starbucks and give it to a local food bank so someone else might eat. Don’t just give something up, do something new. Do something that will change your life and someone else's. I am giving up 2 hours of TV a week this lent. One hour to spend playing and reading with my kids and one hour reading a book about the last 24 hours of Jesus life.
What will you do this lent?

1 comments:

  1. That's an awesome way to do lent... doing something new and amazing with what you've given up. To help someone in need rather than helping yourself because you just WANT it... is amazing! :)
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