“Lord, you are more precious than silver. Lord, you are more costly than gold. Lord, you are more beautiful than diamonds. And nothing I desire compares with you.”        Text from a popular Praise tune.

When I was a little girl, Lent was always talked about as a season where you had to give something up. You had to give up something that you really liked. Kids gave up candy, soda pop, some adults I knew gave up coffee—which became just as much a challenge to their families as to them—alcohol, chocolate, going to movies, eating out, there were all kinds of things that people chose to try to give up for this season of reflection.

I tried to give things up, too. Pop, candy, chocolate (don’t think I ever got through a Lent with that one). All these extra things that honestly we could live without, and much of the world does live without.

What would it be like though, if instead of trying to give up something like that, who chose to give up other kinds of things.

Like passing on that juicy piece of gossip to someone else.

Or speaking harshly to someone when we’re in a bad mood.

Or worrying about something that we have no control over.

Or thinking—Someone else will take care of that.

Or feeling like we need to be in charge all the time.

Or … you fill in the blank—what could you give up for this season—maybe longer?

What for you is more precious, more costly, more beautiful than the love God has shown you in the gift of God’s only son? Nothing.

This Lent make time each day to sit with God’s word to discover how deep and beautiful God’s love is for you. Be still and know that God is God. Cast your burdens upon him because he cares for you. And that love is priceless.

In Christ,

Pastor Kris.