When I began to pray about giving up or picking up something new for Lent, God led me to the feast of unleavened bread, in which the Israelites were instructed by God to eat bread without yeast for 7 days. They were also told to search every nook and cranny of their homes, removing any trace of yeast from within them. Removing the leaven was a physical illustration of what God was calling them to do with their hearts. The feast was a time to search the heart for sin, and a time to ask God to purge that sin and cleanse them from it.
They were not only instructed to lay down the leavened bread but they were also instructed to consume something new, the unleavened bread. They replaced one habit with another healthier habit, one that reminded them of their deliverance from Egypt. I have recently been asking God to cleanse me of my tendency to judge others, especially on the other side of feeling hurt or rejected. I have been asking Him how to get free from it, and what I feel like I heard, was “It’s habitual. Replace it with another habit.”
As I have prayed about what that new habit should look like, God led me to the word “remembrance” which is a word that has relentlessly chased me since the day of my salvation. God once again reminded me that the tendency to judge stems from forgetfulness. It’s simply an outward sign that I have forgotten the depth of the sin in my own heart and the wrath that God has so freely delivered me from.
As I move through this Lenten season, I feel God calling me to come away with Him to simply remember what He has done in my life. I tend to need a visual to carry with me, so I often remember Christ by expressing it through art and writing, and I plan to make those a daily discipline as I move through Lent. We often need tools to help us stay in remembrance. The All Good Things Collective Lent calendar was designed with this very thing in mind! Thank you to all of you have joined us and please know we are praying earnestly for you as you remember, repent, and walk in anticipation of all the good things that Christ has stored up for you.