Back in the day, there used to be a thing called P90X. It was an intense workout routine guaranteed to give you a totally ripped body in 90 days. Well, what if there was a more intense exercise in spiritual perseverance that, if you stick with it, will bring you closer to Jesus and transform you in let’s say 40 days. How would that work?
We all have things in our life that if used in excess can strain our relationship with others and Jesus by taking time away from them. Maybe it’s our phone, social media, pod casts, videos, or video games. Being to busy and over scheduling, even if they’re good things, can rob us of investing valuable time in our faith and with those most important to us.
The first step of our exercise then is to determine what things in our lives take time away from being with Jesus. Then figure, if over the next 40 days, you can either reduce the time spent in that activity or eliminate it all together. This important first step will make more time available to you. But this time can’t remain empty, it needs to be immediately filled with something - something spiritual, something prayerful. Time is fluid and if you don’t fill it with intension, something else is going to fill that space and you are no further forward.
The next step of our exercise is to fill the time you freed up with an activity that will allow you to focus on Jesus and your relationship with him. There are many things you can do, but here’s the thing, I would encourage you to choose the one thing you think will most draw you closer to Jesus and stick with it. By choosing just one thing, you will feel a lot less overwhelmed and distracted and be more focused. Your purpose will be clear, I’m doing this because I love Jesus and I want to better know the one I love.
Once you know the thing you are going to limit or eliminate and have chosen how you are going to fill the time, it’s time to act. Jesus was driven into the desert for 40 days to do battle (that’s where the 40 day exercise comes from by the way), to be with wild beasts and Satan who tempted and tested Jesus’ resolve to live out his mission. With the aid of the angels Jesus was able to resist Satan and survive this time of trial. This should be a clue to us that our 40 days of spiritual perseverance will not be easy and that we can’t do it alone.
We do this exercise with God’s help, one day at a time. In the evening, before bed, reflect on your day. Pay attention to the times you avoided the thing you chose to limit or eliminate. Pay attention to how faithful you were to your prayer time and the activity you chose. If the day went well, give thanks to God for it. If it didn’t, look forward to tomorrow and ask God to help you, and repeat for the next 40 days. With God’s help, each day your perseverance will draw you one step closer to Jesus and each day, transform you to be more like him. Transformation doesn’t happen all at once, but one day at a time.
I am reminded of a line from a movie that says, “The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love and be loved in return.” Some of us know what it feels like to love and to be loved. Some of us know what its like to love and not be loved in return. Its heartbreaking. But often, in the midst of the hurt, we find ourselves doing something the world might tell us is foolish, we choose to continue to love anyway. This is a sacrificial love. Jesus knows sacrificial love.
Jesus gave his life to love us and desires our love in return. Our persevering for these 40 days is a special time for us to do just that, draw even closer to our true love, and love him who loved us first, letting this love between us transform us each day, and over these 40 days lead us to new life.
I wish you success and many blessings in your spiritual journey. Until next time, journey well.
Deacon Ken