Focus on Christ – Prayer for Lent #day 4. In this life, there are different ways to start a thing. The starting of a thing sometimes tells what the end will look like. There is a bad way of starting things, there is also a good way of starting things. But we must know that the way we start doesn’t guarantee the ending at times.
Bible Verse for Today
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
How do we start this Lent? What are the things that we should have in mind as we will be going through this journey? We have the power of our own, we could start anyhow we want – at least we can think and we know what is right and wrong but with all of these thinking and our ability to know the right thing and the wrong thing, we are still limited and we can’t do more than our ability can take us. From the Bible text, Paul was saying that for the race he is running right now, he is running it with Jesus.
What a good way to start something! He was so focused on Jesus that he could not think about his past. There is a prize starting with Christ and ending with Him. If you start with and focus on Christ till the end you will be rewarded accordingly. Like I have mentioned that the fact that some people started well doesn’t mean they will end well.
The starting may sometime determine the end but not in all cases
In the case of Paul, he started bad – he started as the one who persecutes the Christians. Jesus changed his story and he ended well. His beginning did not determine his ending. But we have the opportunity to start this Lent with and focus on Christ alone. If we shift our focus from Him, it will be easier for us to be tossed away by the deceits of the world. It will also be hard for us to overcome temptations just like Jesus did.
This Lent is to prepare us, we must not waste every bit of it by starting the wrong way – that is believing and relying on our power rather than the power of God in Christ Jesus.
Focus on Christ Prayer for Today
Lord, the best way to start something is to start with you. If I have started the wrong way thinking it’s the right way, Lord, I pray that you help me to adjust. Paul started the wrong way but you helped him and he ended well. There is a way that seems right but the end is destruction; if I have been taking this path, redirect my steps, Lord. Amen.
Also read: ALIGN WITH GOD’S WILL Lent #day 3
