Ash Wednesday

My thoughts for Ash Wednesday really started on Monday night. I attend a small intercessory prayer group at church, and this Monday night it was just one other wonderful lady and me. Before she came, I was led to read 2 Timothy chapter 3, and as always, it brought fresh, rich lessons to me. I won't put the whole text here, if you find a few minutes today, give it a read. Anyway, 2 things distinctly stood out to me:

1. Vs. 5 - "...having a form of godliness but denying its power."
2. Vs. 14 - "continue in what you've learned and have become convinced of..."

I can tell you this right now: I never want to have just a form of godliness. I want God! I want true godliness, fruit of a life connected to God. I picture a candy mold, where you would pour melted chocolate in to make bunnies or flowers. I don't want to just be the "form", the empty mold, so to speak. I want FULLNESS, DEPTH, actual 3 dimensional shape. I don't want an empty, shallow existence with God, I want Him to form me and fill me. I also do not want to "deny its power". I want to be full of God's presence AND His power, and to be ready for what that power can do. I want to welcome that power, knowing that His power often comes when we are submitted and surrendered to Him. And here's a good question: Why would anyone want to serve a powerless god? We need to embrace the power of God, not fear it, or deny it.

The second point that really struck me was "what you've learned and have become convinced of...". One dictionary definition I found of convinced said, "to bring by argument to belief, consent, or course of action." The question is: How convinced am I? Have I learned enough and been convinced enough to take certain courses of action? How many believers do you know who have learned much, but are not convinced? When you are convinced, you develop a conviction, and I believe it is our convictions that bring us through our persecutions. That is why some, when times get tough, turn their backs on God, because they were never fully convinced. I want strong conviction. I want to continue to learn more so that I can become convinced of more, and so that my convictions can be strengthened. This supports something the Lord led me to weeks ago, that I need to be spending more time in His word. There is so much strength and power in His truth. Verse 16 of chapter 3 says: "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." I want to be thoroughly equipped to serve Him, so that I can give Him everything I have, because He gave me everything I didn't deserve, and nothing I did deserve.

So, this is adds to the motivation for starting my "power hour" this Lenten season. Jesus deserves so much glory, honor, and praise, more than I feel capable of giving. So, what I can give, I will, with love and gratitude.