Lent and A New Beginning

Yesterday I began reading Richard Rohr’s Lenten devotional, Wondrous Encounters, and I can’t shake the prayer “prompt” at the end of day 1:

“God, give me the desire to desire what you want me to desire.”

On Ash Wednesday I was reminded of who we are:

1) Who we are as finite human beings created in the image of God – “remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” and 2) Who we are as new creatures in Christ – “repent and believe the Gospel.”

As I imposed ashes on the foreheads of students, small children, and adults last night I found myself compelled to look deeply, almost awkwardly deep, into people’s eyes as I said those words, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Repent and believe the Gospel.” Here I was, a person who also needed to hear those words, given the privilege to call people to remember who they are, to turn from sin, and to believe in the Good News of the Kingdom of God – the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In Rohr’s devotional, he says that Ash Wedensday is a new beginnings of sorts, and that as the ashes are traditionally created from the previous year’s Palm Sunday branches, we are to remember, “New beginnings invariable come from false things that are allowed to die.”

False hopes. False dreams. False desires.

False things that are allowed to die. Hopes, passions, dreams, and desires that are not from God, but stem from humanity’s bend toward sin – greed, power, envy, pride, lust, you name it. We are pulled by false desire, false hope, and false things that we need to let DIE in order that God might take his rightful place in our lives as Lord and King.

Ultimately, following Christ is about trust. Will we trust God with all we have and all we are? Will we trust God with our finances? Will we trust him with our relationships? Can we trust God with our desires - our hopes and dreams? Can we trust that God has desires for us – hopes, dreams, plans for us – that will actually allow us to live with joy and purpose?

So I will continue to pray,

“God, give me the desire to desire what you want me to desire.”

May this be a Holy Lent for you. May you press into the desires God has for you.