How About a Trip to the Desert?

Lent is the time of year when I, with purpose and on purpose, make changes. It's a personal time of interior inspection into my heart and soul…..and an exterior inspection of my body. On the exterior side, I’ve been eating like there is no tomorrow. I’ve used the excuse that I’m too busy to focus on discipling my body. “Besides, Lent is coming up and I’ll pull it together then." St. Paul, I need to take your words into my heart and soul AND body! He said, “I keep on disciplining my body, making it serve me so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified.” (1 Cor 9:27). So, I’ve started back on my purposeful strengthening and working this young body out so it will serve me and others well. I'm also honing in on better eating habits (The Daniel Fast -- all fruits and vegetables during Lent). I sure don’t want to be disqualified,

But this season is really about taking a deep dive into the journey of our Lord and Savior. It's about "coming clean". "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10). It's about repentance, restraint and preparation for Jesus’ death on the cross and self-giving love that resolutely puts aside our own wants, needs, and desires in favor of obedience to God. Please don't misunderstand me when I say "preparation for Jesus' death on the cross". We're not putting Him back up on the cross. He died once, so we don't ever have to die a spiritual death. We get to do life with Him forever. We are embracing the cross for which He gave His life for you and me.

It doesn't really sound so enticing, does it? There is no party-hardy in the equation. I want my coffee and my chocolate. I want a prayer life that I instantly understand divine mysteries. I want to ease my way through Lent and life without struggles, hunger pains, worry and going to the desert. I want my needs met and my pockets filled to the brim with God’s goodness. I want world peace. And, can’t we all just get along?

But, a BIG but, what I’ve come to know – is Lent is the reminder that all this sort of thinking is, well, ashes and dust. It’s the reminder that none of THAT stuff is going to matter in the light of eternity. Lent is for focusing the mind, heart, and spirit on God and taking a trip to the desert.

That's the first thing to notice about Lent -- the desert. Jesus spent forty days in the desert fasting and wrestling with the devil. But He came out of that wrestle empowered by the Holy Spirit and His miracle ministry began. That's how I hope to come out of this Lenten season -- empowered to love greater, being a stronger, devoted follower of Christ, and shining brighter with His bright light. If we are experiencing struggles, it doesn't mean we are spiritual failures. It means we are participants in the life of Jesus and, in Him and with Him, we, too will be empowered and have great hope of sharing His reward.

“Lord, open my eyes to see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly.”
St. Richard of Chichester

Clean Up. Clean Out. Clean In.

It was Thanksgiving morning and my family were all coming in for our annual festivities. I was in the kitchen and getting my turkey ready for the oven. I walked over to my dining room table and the sun was coming in like a force-field. And, what to my wandering eyes would appear -- under my table, was a whole lotta dust and specs that I obviously missed on my recent floor cleaning. I quickly swept it all out.

A dear friend came in and spent the night at my home. When we walked into my living area the next morning, the sun was beaming in through my windows that face East. When we looked out -- oh, my -- we could see every spec of dirt and mire on those windows. It’s amazing what the sunshine will reveal on windows AND what the Son-shine will reveal in our lives.

About this time of year, many of us start to think about “Spring Cleaning”. We accumulate so much clutter (you know those little corners where we stack up mail, flyers and magazines), that we start getting weary from just walking by that corner. We need to CLEAN-UP! Then there’s the closets full of winter wear – boots, coats, gloves, hats – squeezed in so tight we couldn’t get another item in it. We need to CLEAN-OUT! Then there’s the attic that bears our seasonal decorations, unused furniture, hunting equipment, years and years of tax records and more building materials than you could shake a stick at! Okay, I just described our attic just after my Sweetheart graduated to heaven. When I climbed those stairs and looked in the attic, I hollered “RONALD WUERCH, how could you leave without cleaning out this mess?” LOL!

And, CLEAN-IN – this season of Lent (the 40-days that start on Wednesday, February 26th and lead to Resurrection Sunday). This time is more about “cleaning in” than cleaning out. Self-examination about the funk and junk that could be hindering a squeaky, clean heart that is a pure and honorable vessel for the Holy Spirit’s habitation. Our utmost desire should be to become so “clean” that the Galatians 5 “roto-rooter” cleans ours hearts out of the hatred, anger, fighting, jealousy, gossiping, criticizing, complaining, selfishness, etc. Bottom line…..it’s clean up, clean out and clean in time for those of us who sincerely desire that our hearts abound in “the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22).

You know how a fresh, clean house feels? Shouldn't we desire that fresh, clean house feel, inside AND out in our lives? It comes by asking the Master Cleaner (Holy Spirit) to come more than once a month to clean. We want Him to show up every day to remind us: "Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has CLEAN hands and a pure heart.” (Psalm 24:3,4)

“Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10