Lent Lessons

I gave up coffee for Lent 30 days ago (well, it's actually been almost 35 days since I've had coffee, but who's counting?) For those of you who know me, this is a tremendous feat considering that I would drink multiple cups of coffee throughout the day.

I usually do not last this long on the whole Lent track. I've tried it multiple times, however, a craving would hit a few days later, and I would give in.  This year I decided to do it, not for the sake of saying I did it, but as a way of reminder before Easter (as it was intended to be).

The first few days I felt it bad.  The headaches hit full force from the lack of caffeine. However, I pressed on by the grace of God. Temptation hit bad within a week or so. Every part of me wanted to give up and drink some coffee and even tried to justify it with some coffee ice cream. But still, God gave me the grace to not give in.

The second and third week I had voices in my head telling me that it was stupid to be doing something the Catholics did.  Why? I didn't need to do that.  But it was a personal conviction and God gave me the strength to stop those lies.

Well, with 16 days left of Lent, I am able to smell coffee and be around coffee. It's almost natural to deny my flesh from drinking it anymore. When people ask why I don't, I plainly reply "Lent." and left it at that. Most people don't understand why I do it.

As I sit and think about the strength God has given me to give up something I loved and was addicted to, I can't help but relate it to this Christian life. So often, God is asking us to give up something in life that is hindering our relationship with Him or is something (or someone) we run to instead of running to God. However, our flesh fights against the Spirit, and more often than not, we give into our flesh.

This past week, I've had to cut things out of my life that I have loved more than God. I had to get rid of the distractions in my life that I allowed to take the place of God.  I deleted even more music than I did before, I am cutting out watching movies that uplift and glorify the things God hates, and I even had to back away from friendships that I was turning to before I turned to God.

This week has been the hardest week of my life. I do none of these out of legalism, but because God is calling me to forsake all for His sake.  God is separating me from everyone and everything because I have allowed those things to distract me from Him. It is out of my weakness that I had to stop those things.

And these days have been the hardest days for me. Why? Because my flesh is fighting the Spirit. My flesh is trying to justify going back to those things, when right now, God is testing my devotion to Him. Will I give up on God when He takes everything and everyone away from me? Will I still cling to my Savior when it seems like I have nothing else?

I don't know how long this will last and quite frankly, I do not want to know. I want it to last as long as it will take for it to become natural for me to deny my flesh. Because like I don't even think about drinking coffee anymore, in the same, I don't want to think about turning anywhere but to my Savior.  I don't want to turn to anyone, but my God.

Though I do not understand why it has to be done this way, I will still praise my God and know that He will give me the grace to push through during this time.