Preparing Our Hearts for Easter: Day 13 – Self Denial

An article by Frank    No Comments

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.

Self denial is often seen as a practice confined to the fanatical, those who are a little extreme, yet it is a practice that has so much to offer to us in our development as human beings. In Christian tradition, this practice is called fasting.

Fasting helps us to give proper perspective to our desires and stops us being enslaved by them – it is a means by which God is able to grow our ability to resist temptation.
James 1:14-15 says this:

“But one is tempted by one’s own desires, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.”

This is a dramatic picture of a growing persona that will engulf us and the journey to death here, starts with our inability to hold our desires at bay. Our desires are not something that should control us and fasting helps break that slavery to temptation and the wanton fulfillment of our desires.

Fasting helps us see beyond ourselves with our own wants and needs and helps us focus on a bigger picture.

As we prepare our hearts for Easter, is there something you could remove from your life until Easter, something you may feel needs to be kept in check. If it’s something that costs money, redirect that money as a gift to the poor somehow. If it’s a time thing, could your time be redirected to a form of service? Find something to fast until Easter and see what difference it makes. Reflect on your journey.

Pray

Jesus, help us to identify an area in our lives where we need to enact self denial and give us the strength to do so.

Amen