It’s the season of Lent again…I don’t know about you… but I’m rubbish with Lent – for me, trying to give up chocolate or wine feels like a New Years’ resolution gone wrong again! Of course, we can give up things that might help our environment for example, eat less meat, use less plastic…

Or rather, we could intentionally do something we have been meaning to for a while - write some letters, make phone calls, bake a cake to bless someone.

All these things are good, and it’s our calling as followers of Jesus to live in a way that honours God.
 However, it’s important to make sure that Lent does not make us feel guilty. It’s very easy, especially at the moment, to feel bad, to feel we are not doing enough, and be overly critical of ourselves.

Archbishop Justin Welby, tweeted on Ash Wednesday: Lent isn’t about punishing ourselves. It’s about drawing closer to Christ and allowing Him to share in our struggles.’

Perhaps we should be gentle with ourselves, as Jesus was gentle with those who admitted their failure and weakness, and humbly came to him.

Nothing we do will ever be ‘enough’…but God’s grace is enough (Rom 3: 23 -25).  So, this Lent, let’s not end up feeling guilty because we have failed yet another self-imposed expectation, let’s make it our aim to draw closer to Jesus. To rest in his loving embrace, be restored by his Spirit, and find strength to go on.

Jan Smith