Lent: a time for reflection

“Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where He was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.” Luke 4:1-2 NLT.

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT.

As a child, I remember asking myself, am I reading that correctly? Jesus was led by the Spirit, to be tempted? I couldn’t comprehend what had to happen. It was, however, meant to be, and is all part of God’s plan for our salvation. I believe because Jesus is sinless, He had to be led by the Spirit in order to get tempted. Unlike us, who are born with a sinful nature. When we are tempted, it is our sinful desires, not the Spirit, that lead us. 

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.” James 1:14 NLT. 

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT.

Reflecting on Jesus' temptation, is essential and beneficial to us. It demonstrates that whenever we are tempted, there is always a way out. Our daily bread. Our Saviour, through scripture, led by example and showed us the way out when we remain in Him. The Bible has a response to every lie from the devil. For every temptation we face, the Word of God has a verse. Thank God, we don’t have to face temptation on our own because of Jesus Christ. We don’t have to succumb to temptation because of Jesus.

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” Romans 8:26 NLT.

That gives me a lot of comfort. In our weakness, we are not alone. When we are at our most vulnerable, the Holy Spirit is there to help us. So, whenever we are tempted, we should turn to God through Christ Jesus, our Lord, and ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Thankfully, we're not supposed to go through trials and temptation by ourselves. We have our Saviour Jesus Christ. He understands and empathises with us, He dwelt among us. We, too, will overcome when we follow Jesus and trust in the Holy Spirit. 

Yes, I [Jesus] am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5 NLT.

We cannot do it by ourselves. When we humble ourselves, we realise, none of us are capable of doing so. That is why, especially during Lent, we must thank God that we don’t have to do it alone. Continually pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance so that we can remain united with Christ in the face of temptation. We may live in this world, but as followers of Christ, we do not belong to it. I pray that from now on, we strive to capture any sinful thoughts and align them with the Word of God. We should invite the Holy Spirit into our life and allow Him to transform us into a new creation. Acknowledging our complete reliance on His guidance guarantees absolute freedom for us through Jesus Christ our Lord. We should share this Good News with the rest of the world! By giving, praying, remaining close to our Saviour and His people, the Church, we may bring hope and encouragement to people who are living in darkness.

There He [Jesus] told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.” Luke 22:40 NLT. 

“Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NLT.

During this Lent, try not only to give up something but, also read the Bible and pray more. Don’t just depend on a few verses, actually read the Bible. Start at Genesis with a chapter a day. In the morning and evening, start and end your day with a prayer praising God. After the 40 days of Lent, God willing, we will all have grown spiritually and will genuinely appreciate everything that God does for us through Christ our Lord. After Lent, we should continue to pray in the same way we did throughout the 40 days. It must become a part of our Christian journey of becoming more like Jesus and less like our sinful selves.

"For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God." 1 John 5:4-5 NLT.