“Spiritual Discipline”

 “Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

“So, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

“And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.  Matthew 6:1-6

Ash Wednesday is March 5. We will have a worship service in the sanctuary at 7:00 pm and we will impose ashes on the foreheads of those who choose this. Everyone is invited.

The 40-day season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and culminates during Holy Week. During this time, many Christians practice spiritual disciplines such as fasting. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus gives us some important guidelines to remember as we practice spiritual disciplines.

In this passage, Jesus addresses three spiritual disciplines that were being misused by the hypocrites of His day: giving to the poor, prayer, and fasting. The hypocrites were using these disciplines to draw attention to themselves, and they were rewarded with lots of attention. However, Jesus points out that they are missing out on the true benefits of a spiritual discipline.

The purpose of a spiritual discipline is to draw our attention to God. And when our attention is drawn to God, we will be rewarded by God with a deep and meaningful encounter with Him.

Jesus wants us to have this experience with God, so He tells us to practice our spiritual disciplines in secret. When we give or pray or fast in secret, we will be able to resist the temptation to draw attention to ourselves.  

The upcoming season of Lent is a great opportunity to focus our attention on God and enjoy being in His presence. May the Lord bless you on your Lenten journey.

In Christ,

Pastor David