How Is Your Week Going?
So how are you doing on your Lenten sacrifice? What did you give up or what did you do to better yourself? I made a commitment at the beginning of the year to make this a year of Thankfulness. Each day I want to make sure I take the time to say thank you and to be more attentive to many little things, which happen each day that I could have over looked.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
It’s just a small thing but I gave up all sodas. I was drinking about 3 per day. I have had one slip in the past six weeks where I had one soda at a meeting (for the caffeine) because I do not drink coffee. Shocker, I know, there are actually people who do not drink coffee.
As we enter Holy Week leading up to Easter I am trying to get a better understanding of the weight this week carries. Recently in Pastor Alan’s sermon, he mentioned the shortest passage in the bible John 11: 35 “Jesus wept.” That verse has resonated with me all week. Many times we hear of the stories of the Bible and Jesus is instructing the disciples or preaching to crowds. We so often forget Jesus was a real human with real emotions, real feelings. He lost a very dear friend in Lazarus and Jesus wept. He was hurting and the pain was real. I remember the first time I saw my Mom cry was when her mother passed away. It was 11 o’clock at night and I saw my Mom face down on the table sobbing. I hurt because my Mom was hurting. The pain was real.
I can only imagine what kind of anxiety Jesus must have felt as he came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday knowing what would happen in the next week. Now lets be honest here, If we are leaving on vacation, going to the doctor, dentist, first day at a new job, leaving your kids at school for the first time or missing a deadline there is sooooo much anxiety. Jesus knowing He had to stand in front of a judge and be found guilty, as Pilot asked Jesus “Are you the king of Jews?” And Jesus said, “ Yes, it is as you say.”
With those words He was found guilty and tortured and put to death on a cross.
Let’s understand the horrible fashion He suffered. He was whipped with a strap that had hooks in it to pull flesh from his body. Then carry his own cross so he could be nailed to it. And a crown of thorns forced on his head. Jesus felt pain. And as he was on the cross He was human when He cried out “I thirst.”
My heart grows heavy with the realization of the suffering He took for my sins and the sins of the world. So when I think about me just giving up soda’s for six weeks it seem very petty on my part.
Yes it is a celebration on Easter Sunday, because that day changed our destiny. HE IS ALIVE, HE IS NOT DEAD. Jesus was sent here to forgive our sins. May we never forget the weight of the sacrifice for the forgiveness and love He showed to us and to be thankful everyday just not on Easter.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.