Strengthen Your Relationships This Lent

“Even now, says the Lord, return to Me with your whole heart.” –Joel 2:12

Lent begins today, Ash Wednesday. The next 40 days give us the opportunity to intentionally and deliberately fan into flame the gift of faith God has given us. The discipline of Lent – including prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – is designed to strengthen our relationship with God, with others, and with ourselves. It’s an opportunity to get closer to God, let Him use us to bless others, and make us more and more into the people He created us to be.

Through prayer, we open our minds and hearts to what God wants to say to us; in this way our faith is strengthened. Through fasting, we remove whatever it is that distracts us from loving ourselves and the people around us. Through almsgiving, we detach ourselves from our material goods and see Christ in all people. 

Choose one thing to do this Lent to strengthen your relationships; it doesn’t have to be heroic or super-difficult. Here are a few ideas: 

  Take a few moments to thank God for another day. Write down what you’re grateful for.   

Spend just 15 minutes each day reading and reflecting on a passage in the gospels. Read slowly and notice which words strike a chord with you. Then sit quietly, think about those particular words, and pay attention to the thoughts that come to mind. Those thoughts are Jesus speaking to you.

** I highly recommend watching the series “The Chosen,” which tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of those who followed Him. I was moved way beyond my expectations and found it incredibly powerful to see how the producers brought the people and the stories to life in ways that no other ‘Jesus movie’ has ever done. It’s free: just google The Chosen and click on ‘Watch.’ You can also download the app. I recommend you begin with Season 1, Episode 1. Some episodes are 20 minutes, others are an hour or more. **

Fast from something that prevents you from being present. Check your phone less frequently; give up Netflix or social media. 

Fast from gossiping, or criticizing, or judging the people down the street who live differently from how you live.

Giving alms doesn’t have to mean giving money. The point is to give something away to bless others. Give your heart: Say something sincere and kind to a different person every day. Give your time: Contact a soup kitchen or homeless shelter and ask if you can contribute to their meals. Maybe each week you could give to a different organization. 

Let’s use Lent to intentionally strengthen our faith and our relationships.

“Lord, thank You for these 40 days to draw closer to You and each other.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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p.s.

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