Photo by Nathan McBride on Unsplash

Journey through the wilderness this Lenten season with a new blog published every week by Patrick.

What are you looking at?

By the time you read this, we are already a week into Lent. The initial excitement and vigour of additional fasting, prayer and almsgiving may have already worn off. 

Like the Israelites, you may have already been pining to turn back and run away from the trials and challenges of the wilderness.

And if that’s you, good. More reason to keep fighting the good fight and putting one foot in front of the other. 

Ultimately, this time of testing, trial and temptation allows us to remain focused on the One thing that truly matters.

In The Way of the Heart, Henri Nouwen writes that without the wilderness, “We remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self. Jesus himself entered into this furnace. There he was tempted with the three compulsions of the world: to be relevant, to be spectacular, and to be powerful. There he affirmed God as the only source of his identity.”

It’s so tempting and so easy to often place our identity in people, places and things. This form of comparison steals our peace and leaves us without hope. 

This Lent, let’s place our identity solely in the Lord.

Jesus builds us up. He sees our worthiness, dignity and goodness. 

We need the experience of the wilderness for the Lord to bestow upon us our identity as sons and daughters.

Stripped of the things of the world, we are given an opportunity in the wilderness to confront our real selves, our good selves, as the Father sees us.

So, the journey through the wilderness isn’t just an experience of the furnace for the sake of the furnace. Nor is it a chance to prove to ourselves how good we are. And it is definitely not the time to fall back into the passing things of the world.   

May we use this special time in the wilderness to gaze our eyes towards Jesus. We have more room and space to give Him our full attention and love. He is our prize and hope. 

Patrick is a beloved son of the Father who desires to use his gifts to build up the Kingdom of God. You can read more of his writing on his blog.