Lenten Devotion

I've kinda been skipping reading the awesome devos that my friends at the UNC Wesley foundation have been sending out, but I was going through my email and this one made me feel better, so I hope it does the same for you.
PS BWL= Big Wesley Love


Matthew 26:59
“Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death.”

Not to point out the obvious here, but it’s kind of unfair that the good guy gets put to death just because the powers-that-be had a certain mindset that would not allow them to see what was right in front of their faces...namely, that Jesus was the Son of God. It’s kind of a symptom of the human condition thus far, isn’t it, though? The self-righteousness, the immobile worldview, the rush to condemnation...it’s all been a rather consistent short-coming of our kind throughout history. As much as it affects our relationships with the world at large, though, I’d like to talk about how we bring those same symptoms to bear when we pass judgment on ourselves. Lent is far too often a time of beating ourselves up—we focus on what we’re not doing well enough, try to “fix” it, and then pound our heads against the wall in frustration when we inevitably slip back into old habits. I’d like to take this moment to remind you that you are God’s creation, and you are loved. You are loved in totality, not just that which you consider good. This is not to say that we shouldn’t try to be the best possible versions of ourselves. On the contrary, I’ve found that there’s no greater motivating factor than the fact of such a great love. The point is, though, that we should be who we are created to be. We all have our limitations and our flaws. Figure out how to function and thrive in life through the wholeness of your personality, not just how to survive in spite of your weaknesses. Learn how you work in community, how even what you perceive as a weakness can help strengthen and guide others.

Prayer: Loving God, we are grateful for the gift of Your creation. We ask that you’ll help us to appreciate all of it, including ourselves, and to see it with fresh eyes everyday. Help us, during this Lenten season, to discover our true selves, and to become, in whole, that which You have created us to be. Amen.

BWLisReallyAnAwesomeThing,Isn'tIt?,
Jake