Can I just tell you that Lent completely snuck up on me this year. I mean, I’m embarrassed to admit this, but as I scrolled through my Facebook feed yesterday I saw a post about Ash Wednesday and had to remember what day it was and if THIS Wednesday was the Wednesday they were talking about. It was.

Can I also admit I immediately felt burdened by it? Easter is my favorite holiday, truthfully, not in a “I just want to be different” sort-of way, so I love that in less than 40 days it will be here. But, right now I’m exhausted. I’m bogged down with so much life stuff that I feel like I can’t give Lent one ounce of me.

This is partly because I am in Bible Study Fellowship which is great, and I’ve recommended it so many times, but it is intensive weekly Bible study. There’s no extra time in this toddler mom’s days for a Lent study, too.

So what do I do? I start a Lent study anyway, of course – She Reads Truth to be exact. I don’t know why I do this to myself. Sometimes I wonder if it’s to subconsciously set myself up for failure.

Galatians 5-1

And isn’t that just what the enemy wants me to do – think I’m a failure? Because if I’m a failure, then Jesus is a liar and the Cross He died on didn’t make me righteous, separating my sin as far as the east is from the west. It only pointed my failure out more.

During this season of Lent, by all means read your Bible. If you’re not going through any Bible reading plan, then do a Lent study. She Reads Truth is an excellent one.

If you’re reading your Bible daily but still watching hours of television or playing on your phone for hours, then by all means spend MORE time reading your Bible. Do your regular reading plan AND a Lent study.

Write out your sins, all of them, and begin confessing them, one by one, over these next 40 days. Lay at Jesus’ feet fully repentant. He will cleanse you.

Fast food or sugar or social media or whatever if you feel called to do so.

But don’t let the enemy take away the Truth that’s coming at the end – Jesus died on the Cross for every bit of our failure. He rose from the grave three days later. It is finished. It is gone. There is no more. We are now free in Christ to live full lives as chosen people of God.

A Lot of Prayer

This weekend let’s pray that this Lenten season will point us back to the freedom we have in Jesus because the Cross set us free! There are so many shoulds and coulds and musts in our world. Most of these are good. But none are good if they hold us enslaved to perfectionism.

Jesus doesn’t need our perfect. He is perfect. And through Him we are perfect.