Forty days of Lent, forty days of trial and sacrifice for Christ, days of hunger and thirst, of praying to the Father, of readying Himself to begin His ministry, of asking for strength and complete submission to the Divine Will for the difficult days ahead.
Lent may be the perfect time to ready ourselves for the extreme financial situation our country is facing. The news is full of layoffs and homes being lost. In our small congregation alone, I’ve already learned of a job loss and a mortgage that went up $400 along with a cut in pay.
How are we to make it through this “wilderness” that will last far longer than the time of Lent, by tightening our belts and hanging onto our money at all cost? Being prudent and avoiding unnecessary spending is good, but if it leads to fear and an “every man for himself” type of thinking, we may be selling our souls for a loaf of bread.
“Three things will last forever,” Corinthians 13 (NLT)tells us, “faith, hope, and love (charity)—and the greatest of these is love.” This combination may be what God is asking of Christians right now. Charity not just of money, but of goods long tucked away or items acquired but not needed, sharing of our excess, refraining from extras.
Goods and money diminish in hard times, but love can grow larger, fuller and stronger. God refills our cup of love again and again, the instant we give it away. Declaring our faith that God will provide will be met with skepticism by non-believers if we show no sign of charity, but if our words are accompanied by an action, no matter how small, God’s message will get through.
Dear Lord, hope will be in short supply in the days ahead, but the need for it will be great. Let the Good News of the Bible, faith-based articles, books and hymns, help us all to overcome the news and statistics leading us to the brink of despair. Instill a spirit of charity within our hearts so we may help those less fortunate. Protect us and our loved ones, their homes and jobs. Remind us how blessed we are to be able to share your infinite supply of love Amen.
*Turn to Philippians 4:8-9 when the news media and the people you know have only bad tidings to predict.
