Ponder This: What habits, attitudes or patterns in my life need healing/surrender?
Scripture To Consider: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. -Psalm 51:1
Mary Ann's Response: As I begin to think about the coming season of Lent, Psalms 51 is helping me to take an honest look at my heart and recognize my need for God’s mercy and grace. If I genuinely want to show repentance, it needs to be more than spoken words: it begins with humility and a willingness to admit where I fall short. There are times in my life- when I am impatient, distracted, and try to handle things on my own instead of depending on God - I realize I need healing and need to surrender.
Psalms 51 prayer, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me”, speaks of what I desire during this season. I long for an inner renewal that only God can bring to me, not something temporary or limited to the practices of Lent. Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 also remind me that fasting and prayer are not meant to draw attention, but to quietly draw me closer to God. When I was younger and attending Catholic school, I was often told that Lent meant giving up something you liked. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to a better understanding of the purpose behind that practice. While it may sound simple, the sacrifice can be difficult, yet I have learned that offering something up for Jesus can actually bring a deeper sense of joy and closeness to Him.
This Lent, I hope to fast from eating some of my favorite foods, but also from habits and attitudes that pull my heart away from God. Through prayer, small acts of surrender, and greater attentiveness to God’s presence, I trust that His grace can cleanse, restore, and lead me into deeper companionship with Him.
Tom's Response: I'd like to make a habit of talking to God like David. David doesn't hit on just one point; he hits on many. In Psalm 51, he asks for forgiveness, and he shares his guilt. David tells Him he has sinned against Him and accepts whatever punishment God imposes. He asks for wisdom, joy, pure thoughts, and for the Spirit's help to make him faithful again. He tells God he is truly sorry, from the depths of his heart.
1 Samuel 13:14, we learn that the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart. David's heart was aligned with God's desires, and David knew how to surrender. I will always fall short. For Lent, I'd like to talk to God throughout the day, as David did, and align my heart with God's desires.
Karen's Response: Often, when we are asked a convicting question like this, we want to brush it off or walk away from it - or at least I do. I don’t want to think about the habits, attitudes, or patterns in my life that need healing -the ones I need to let go of and surrender to God. I have more than a few that I like to keep a tight grip on and continuously justify.
So my first step is to sit quietly with my hands open - coming before my Heavenly Father, in a willing posture of heart, mind, and soul. This position reminds me to be thankful for being invited by God to look a little deeper and to welcome the invitation to be transformed. Just like David in Psalm 51:1, I need to remember that God is full of unfailing love and great compassion; He is not standing in judgment, but coming with grace upon grace.
With this in mind, I picture God as my Great Counselor, someone who wants to help me to be the best version of myself. Just as I would talk with a counselor or life coach, I talk with God, sharing my heart. In this safe space, I can begin to unpack and surrender the habits, patterns, and attitudes that draw me away from who God is calling me to be. In my case, I now see that some of my patterns are the root cause of my attitude. God is calling me to change the pattern, so I can be free from the stress that leads to a poor attitude.
As I continue to come before God to seek counsel, surrender, and begin to change, I will remember 2 Corinthians 12:9, But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. Through God’s love, compassion, grace, mercy, healing, and power, I will be able to dig deep and make changes that will lead to greater joy and peace in my life.
