We can trust in the love and power of God’s Only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus knows what is best for us. He knows what we need before we ask Him. The question is: Do we want a spiritual makeover?
Welcome to "Preparing for the Passion: A Spiritual Journey through Lent," a new weekly series to enrich your observance of the holy penitential season.
By Sylvia
PassionofChrist.ca
It is the desire of God’s heart to be in a relationship with each and every one of us. God calls us to hear His voice in so many different ways. He waits for us hoping that we will take His hand and allow Him to transform our lives as He transforms our hearts. In this two part series let’s reflect on what it means to be in a relationship with Jesus.
Let’s continue on our Lenten journey by reflecting on God’s call to holiness. God says, “I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” — Leviticus 11:44
Holiness is not just one attribute of God among many, for it is expressed in everything He is and does. God is holy, absolutely morally perfect, and all that He does expresses that perfect goodness and love!
We can only become holy by surrendering to God’s love, dedicating our lives to Him and aligning our free will to the Holy Will of God. We don’t do this on our own. We do this in communion with God; through God’s power and grace we can become "holy."
Humility and Contrition
The beginning of the divine relationship is marked by faith and by two important characteristics revealed in the following Scripture:
For this is what the high and exalted One says– he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." — Isaiah 57:15
The two important elements that mark the beginning of a relationship with Jesus are: HUMILITY AND CONTRITION.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. — Psalm 51:17
To enter into a relationship with Jesus we must be ready to repent and acknowledge our infinite need for God’s grace.
The man or woman who feels self-sufficient has no need for God. Self-sufficiency born out of ignorance or arrogance precludes the type of disposition God is looking for. God wants us to believe in Him, to bow down our heads and acknowledge our wrong doings. He wants us to humble ourselves acknowledging our fallibility, our unworthiness and our profound need for His love, His mercy and His grace.
Forgiveness
With penitent hearts and a humble spirit let us approach God’s Son Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer, for forgiveness.
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. — Proverbs 28:13
Jesus embraces all who are sorry for their sins and are desirous of entering into a life-changing relationship with Him. Jesus says, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” — Revelation 3:19
God is always working on improving and changing us and He uses our conscience to open us up to see our faults and shortcomings. Offering Jesus our humble and contrite hearts is a first step in beginning on a new path with God.
Trust
Trust is the next ingredient Jesus so desires.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. — Proverbs 3:5-6
Faith, humility, contrition, and trust are critical ingredients in the formation of our relationship with Jesus and in fact they are important foundational elements in our relationships with one another too.
We can trust in the love and power of God’s Only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus knows what is best for us. He knows what we need before we ask Him. The question is: Do we want a spiritual makeover?
Jesus gives us some specific instructions. These instructions define our relationship with Him. He says:
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? — Matthew 16: 24-26
In a world that preaches self-indulgence, the instructions to "deny oneself" may invoke a picture of a thirsty person sitting in the middle of a desert dying.
Jesus calls us to deny ourselves so He can have some room to work. If our lives are full of "pleasure pursuits," how can God intervene to guide us and transform us?
Hour of Mercy
Jesus loves us much more than we can imagine and we should reflect on the depth of His love for us as we remember Him on the Cross dying for our salvation.
I encourage you to do this one small thing for God. Stop every day at the time Jesus died for us, the Hour of Mercy, 3 p.m. (in your local time zone or any time zone convenient for prayer) to remember Jesus dying on the Cross for you! Look into Our Crucified Savior’s eyes and tell Him you love Him.
Repent, confess your sins and, surrender your life to God’s omnipotent, unconditional love for you and pray for all souls that all may come to know and love their Savior, Jesus Christ.
{shopmercy-ad}
