6TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

All good giving and every perfect gift is from above.

What are you giving up for Lent? It’s a familiar question to ask and answer on the day before Ash Wednesday. The forty days of Lent can provide a perfect opportunity to break a harmful habit like smoking or gossiping. But we don’t give up desserts or social media or our favorite online game because we’re on a self-improvement kick. We do it to open up space and time to love God and our neighbor better. And we might be surprised to see how we receive gifts from the Lord as a result.

God’s goodness and generosity mean that Lent can be a time of receiving, not just a time of giving up. So let’s ask a different question: what gift might your heavenly Father want to give you?

Perhaps you decide to spend more time in intercessory prayer. Maybe you set aside fifteen minutes a day—or an hour a week—to lift up all those people whose needs have come to your attention. Yes, you are “giving up” your time, but as you do, you might receive the gift of hope in difficult circumstances. Or you might start seeing situations with God’s wisdom. Or you might feel the Holy Spirit leading you to pray with someone specific, or even see God give the good gift of healing.

Perhaps you decide to try to reach out to at least one person each week and offer some practical help: a meal, a ride, or a time to babysit. You might receive the gift of a greater awareness of the needs around you. Or you might find yourself feeling more compassionate toward people. You might also receive a deeper understanding of the other person’s burden or concern, even if you can’t do anything to alleviate it.

Perhaps you pray each morning and ask God to make you aware of his greatest concern for someone close to you—along with a concrete way to address it. As you act on these insights, you might see your priorities shifting. You might also see that ordering your day according to God’s thoughts has brought you the gift of peace.

Spend some time today inviting the Lord to open your eyes to a gift he longs to give you. Then ask him how your Lenten practices can help prepare you to receive it.

“Father, what good gift are you preparing for me this Lent?”

James 1:12-18
Psalm 94:12-15, 18-19
Mark 8:14-21