In today's culture, independence and "doing our own
thing" are celebrated. Advances in readily available technology have
given us a growing variety of options for how each of us will spend our
day. Think how credit cards, the refrigeration of food and the internet,
just to pick three widely applied technologies, create opportunities to satisfy
our personal wishes. They did not even exist until recent decades.
So we are presented daily with more and more ways to satisfy
our own particular appetites, and even to develop new appetites. Is there
an upper limit? For some it is simply the limits of their money and their
time. But for all of us there remain choices to be made. One of the
choices is always to skip some particular temptation. But that may be a
hard-to-make choice, depending on the amount of one's particular self-control.
Putting it another way ---- when are we willing to try some self-denial?
What are "self-control" and
"self-denial"? Are they not the same thing when we are facing
temptation? A popular definition of both terms is: exercising the
ability to override impulses in favor of longer-term goals.
The heart of the problem seems always the same ---- the conflict between short-term
rewards (which we seem hard-wired to greatly value) and longer-term goals
(which seem to have no present value ---- only a future value). A slice
of just-baked apple pie sitting right in front of us, in other words, is simply
a lot more compelling than a long-term desire to be slim.
But we need to keep strong our ability for self-control and
self-denial. There will always be times when we need them. We
understand that one cigarette, or one more glass of wine, or just one hour of
procrastination, will have no material effect in the long run. Except
that, the first exception may lead to another, and we eventually find ourselves
in some place we never intended to be.
We are not the only ones who needed self-control and
self-denial. Jesus was able to demonstrate and strengthen his self-control
and self-denial by fasting in the desert for 40 days. The Gospels of
Matthew, Mark and Luke describe his 40 days of fasting before the beginning of
his public ministry. During this time of fasting, Jesus endured
temptation by the Devil. Indeed, sometimes we too may feel we are being
tempted by the Devil as we attempt some kind of self-denial!
But, more importantly, the attitude of Jesus during his
gruesome crucifixion, is perhaps the greatest story of self-denial in human
history.
Importantly, we need to balance the mere satisfaction of our
personal appetites, with a second thing ---- with the giving of ourselves to
others. That balance is critical for our personal fulfillment and
happiness. Giving of ourselves to others is actually another form of
self-denial ---- denying ourselves the luxury of just coasting through life.
Further, we need to continue seeking new ways to give of ourselves to
others. It doesn't just happen. We need to ponder regularly what
these new ways might be.
This year at CPC, Pastor Don has organized a Lenten Study
Series entitled "The Way: Walking In The Footsteps of
Jesus," compiled by Pastor Adam Hamilton. This series of small
discussion groups is intended to open up our thoughts and feelings to some new
ways each of us can give of ourselves ---- denying the typical inertia and
appetite-pleasing habits most of us already have. Interaction in this
small-group setting may "jump-start" many of us into finding new ways
and reasons for giving of ourselves.
The strengthening of our own discipline for appropriate
denial of appetites and the giving of ourselves to others is so important to
Christians, that long ago we adopted an annual period of mourning for and
reflection on the nature of Jesus Christ's sacrifice. We call this period Lent.
We observe Lent for the six weeks leading to Easter Sunday. This year it
extends from Ash Wednesday on February 18 to Easter eve on April 4.
During Lent, believers prepare themselves for Easter by
paring down their lives through fasting, giving up luxuries, showing penance
for their sins, and "giving alms" (donating time and talent to
charities, or taking part in charity events). All of these actions are
forms of "denial of self."
Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing
ashes on the foreheads of worshipers as a reminder and celebration of human
mortality, and as a sign of mourning for Jesus and repentance to God. Ash
Wednesday is not only a day of fasting, but also a day of contemplating one's
own transgressions ---- a day of repentance. The first day of Lent (Ash
Wednesday) comes the day after Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras ("Fat
Tuesday"), the last day of the "Carnival" season, famously
celebrated each year in New Orleans. The day before Ash Wednesday, therefore,
in popular lore, is the last day to indulge in the vices and luxuries one has
planned to give up for Lent.
Abstinence and fasting during Lent is a form of penance, but
we also need to use this time to reflect on and take stock of our spiritual lives.
Perhaps Lent is not just about "giving things up". It may be a
good time to begin practicing some new longer-term attitudes, as well as
just denying some of the appetites and attitudes we were so comfortable with in
the past.
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These thoughts are brought to you by CPC's Adult
Spiritual Development Team, hoping to encourage you to pursue some personal
spiritual growth this winter at CPC.
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