One Word, Five Voices: Stop

Lent is such an obvious time for stopping something, isn't it? It's when people give up chocolate, Facebook, radio/music in the car, the elevator at work, etc. It's a time to stop doing something so you can fit other things in more easily, like prayer, study and time to focus on God.

It's why I love Lent. It's extra time to focus on what matters, and put aside things that distract from that, or add something in that helps me focus more clearly.

That's what can make Lent a dangerous time, too. When the ritual of giving something up every year starts to get in the way of the reason for doing it—that's when faith becomes less about the heart, and more about the rules. And that's never good. That is something that should most definitely stop—not just during Lent, but every day of the year.

Faith isn't about the rules because we don't serve a God who works on technicalities. Faith is too important for that. We are too loved for that.

Whatever it is you're stopping for Lent, I pray that it draws you closer to the knowledge of how truly loved you are, and draws you away from a list of rules followed out of guilt. Because that, my friends, is not how we were created to be living.

_________________________________________________________________________________

 Check out what my friends think of today's word on their blogs: Shawn, Heather, Steph and Brian.