Empty And Filled

This hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

“Oops.” I winced, closing the app on my phone. It was the second day of the Lenten season, and I had given up social media for the duration. Out of habit, I’d clicked into one of the apps.

Quickly realizing my error, I exited and repositioned my social media apps several screens to the right. I hoped the extra distance would give me enough pause to remember my goal.

As a child, my only experience with Lent was secondhand knowledge from friends who gave up Coke or candy. As an adult, I appreciate the tradition in a new way. Because now, every time I forgo social media or sweet treats for those forty days, I experience the paradox of becoming both empty and filled.

What does this mean? Practically, it means creating space in our hearts and schedules for more of Jesus. Our modern world bombards us with messages, tasks, and busyness. We are packed to the brim with worries, to-do lists, work woes, and current events. Lent, on the other hand, can help us refocus. One of my pastors described Lent as a pause, a sacred space in which we recall the past with gratitude—remembering what was accomplished by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—while also being joyfully expectant of the future and Jesus’ glorious return.

When we take the time to get rid of the things that have entangled us, refocusing our attention on Jesus, we can experience his peace. When we give him our burdens, we make room for him. In his economy, hearts can be healed. Worries can become avenues toward peace. And the mess in our lives can be transformed into a message of hope. We can live in confident expectation because of his work on the cross and the subsequent joy of our salvation. No striving. No hurry. No worry. Just Jesus. In that Lenten pause, the hope of more sustains us.

Kristin

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Choose to fast from something for a predetermined length of time. Plan an alternative activity to help fill you with Jesus’ love.