Today marks the start of the season of lent. It is a time when those of us who are followers of Christ prepare for the celebration of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our savior. You don’t need to give something up, which is the traditional way that people prepared for Easter, but you do need to make these next 47 days a time of reflection about what the true meaning of Easter is all about.
These Lent devotionals will take you on a journey to discover the abundant life that Jesus offers. The world is full of noise and distraction – bright lights that lead us away from the depth of life, keeping us in the shallows. The kingdom of heaven – the kingdom of life and love and joy – is closer than we think. Let us grasp it with both hands.
Original goodness
To know where we are, and to know where we are going, we need to know where we began. Too often, we forget our true origin; we forget that the story of humanity did not begin with the fall.
Our story started with the image of God.
Beauty. Wonder. Life. This is what God has placed at the core of our being. Nothing can change our identity as children of God, declared so emphatically at the cross. Sin is a stain upon the fabric; it is not the fabric itself.
We were made for good and, despite the fall, we retain that shining potential.
The fullness of life that Christ offers us isn’t about running away from our humanity, it’s about running back into it – it’s about reconnecting with who we were created to be.
Prayer:
Father God,
This Lent, reconnect us with your divine vision. Thank you for making us in your likeness. Help us to see the divine image in both ourselves and in others. Amen.
Author: Gideon Heugh, Tearfund
So God created mankind in his own image,
Genesis 1:27 NIV
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.