During Lent, I am challenging your heart regarding forgiveness. Are you holding on to any unforgiveness? And if there is, are we willing to do the hard work of dealing with it and working through it? Let the words and life of Jesus both guide you and inspire you to an abundantly full life!

Search your hearts and be silent.

This is not a cursory glance to see what we may have done wrong in the last few days, but a self-reflection that goes deep into our very hearts.

When it comes to knowing who God is, we must understand His words in order to gain an understanding of what faith means and what He wants for our lives. We know God uses pastors and teachers to assist Him in preparing those who are seeking the wisdom and knowledge of our Creator. But it is by faith we are blessed with spiritual eyes and spiritual ears to begin to understand personally who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross.

When the Old Testament children of God were called, they responded and repented. But soon after would always return to their old ways. We often do the same thing. We start out on the right path and then, sometimes in the most subtle ways, we wander from the path of faith.

A one-time prayer is not a "fix-all" for a broken life. John 16:33 says, "In the world, you will have tribulation. But take courage, I have overcome the world!" Jesus overcame the world; we have not. What we do have now is the grace and love of our Heavenly Father and the certainty of eternal life because Jesus already did the hard work.

I encourage you, my brothers and sisters, to find the answer in Christ Jesus. Meditate on his word and find joy in knowing our Lord and Savior has all the answers for any issue you are going through in this dark world.

When we turn to the LORD in repentance, we do not find a vengeful, angry God, but one who is ready to forgive. We see this most clearly in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

Over the next 41 days, before we arrive at Easter morning, how will you spend this time with God? And what is God preparing you for?

Let us follow the command of Jesus, rely on his promises, and, with the Holy Spirit in us, let us do the will of the Father!

There is a time for everything and a purpose for each piece of the puzzle God puts in front of us. The best we can do is keep our priorities straight and embrace the chaos. Carve out time with God. Show love to the people you care about and those in need. Love the space where God has placed you.