Lent, for all of its journey into self-awareness, repentance, and prayer should really lead to one thing…falling into the arms of the One who calls us “Beloved.” This is not a journey to shore up our mastery of the disciplines or fine tune Biblical techniques. It is a journey of falling deeper in love with Jesus and allowing ourselves to receive the love He offers.
David Benner writes, “God doesn’t want me to try to become more loving. He wants me to absorb his love so that it flows out from me. Only love is capable of genuine transformation. Willpower is inadequate.” Thomas Merton reminds us that “the root of Christian love is not the will to love but the faith to believe that one is deeply loved by God. Embarking on the journey of Christian spiritual transformation is enrolling in the divine school of love. Our primary assignment in this school is not so much study and practice as it is letting ourselves be deeply loved by our Lord.”
How do you sense God inviting you into deeper relationship with him today? What might your response look like?
Gail Johnsen 