Are You Tired Yet?

Yesterday I asked “Where is God Leading You?” Today I invite you to consider how far you’ve come since we began our journey four weeks ago. Since before Great Lent even began, you fasted from meat for an entire week. Then, you left all eggs and dairy products behind. If you are following the entire fast, you haven’t even had any oil or wine, except for weekends.  As we finish the fourth week of Great Lent, “Are You Tired Yet?”

God, and everyone else trying to follow the fast, knows just how difficult Great Lent can be. As we have already discussed over the past four weeks, Great Lent isn’t just about fasting, but is absolutely a difficult journey, even if ‘just’ about fasting. When you include the extra church services, extra prayers, extra charity work, and compound that with a strict fasting diet, Great Lent IS exhausting. If you aren’t tired yet, you might be a ‘Lenten expert,’ but the journey is definitely worth the work.

Don’t take my word for it. Just read today’s reading from Hebrews below. Whenever we put effort (work) into our spiritual journey, God doesn’t overlook that effort. That doesn’t mean God expects us to ourselves, but He honors the work and effort we put forth to grow closer to Him. As the Church will remind us tomorrow, the “Ladder of Divine Ascent” is made up of many steps and requires a serious effort. God will not ignore the work you do.

BRETHREN, we feel sure of better things that belong to salvation. For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. – Hebrews 6.9-12