Giving Up

I love holidays, and I love celebrating.  I believe celebrating holidays is pleasing to God if we keep the focus on Him.  I especially enjoy teaching my children about Christmas and Easter and focusing totally on the true reason for each of them.  I even love celebrating The 4th of July and remembering our country's freedom. Remembering and celebrating is one way of "passing down to the next generation" the ways of God. 

Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays.  I love everything that it represents - Jesus' death and resurrection.  I love that it always falls on Sunday, and I love that it's a day to completely remember Jesus.  To me, it's not about bunnies and baskets, but is completely about sacrifice and new life. Sure, bunnies and eggs can represent new life.  Because of the representation, my kiddos have dyed eggs, gone on egg hunts, and eaten a chocolate bunny or two. But my heart's cry is to make sure they understand the true meaning.

My children are getting older and are growing out of the coloring and dyeing phase, so I decided to
introduce a new element of Easter to them.  This year we studied Lent.  Lent isn't something that our particular denomination practices, yet I have found it very humbling and worthy of teaching.  In essence, it involves sacrificing something in order to have a glimpse of the sacrifice of Christ.  He gave up his life for our sins, and we can experience sacrifice on a small scale by choosing to give up something dear to us for forty days.  There is rich parallel in the practice of Lent.   

After a few days discussing Lent, each of my children chose something to give up for a short time.  We didn't "do" Lent perfectly, but, again, experienced a little of what it's like to give up something we love.  I watched as each of my children struggled with wanting the choice item at different times.  The longing for something they willingly gave up was strong.  And yet that's what sacrifice is.  It's a loss.  It is the act of giving up something.  It is the offering of something precious to you.

Growing up, Easter represented a new dress and a new pair of shoes.  For years, I focused more on what I would wear on Easter than how I would worhsip.  That's just me being completely honest.  Ultimately, a new Easter outfit is not wrong.   It's a special day and honoring God by looking our best is not wrong.  I realized this year, however, that the emphasis on a new outfit for me personally was hindering my true experience of celebrating the holiday.  How many Easter's have I spent more time putting the outfit together rather than putting my heart in order?   After much thought on this, I knew exactly what I would give up for Lent.  This year I would not get a new Easter outfit.  To many, that might not seem like a big deal.  But to me, it completely took away a huge part of the day.  Yet, it re-directed my focus.  Because I wanted this to be a process,  I also decided that from the beginning of Lent until Easter, I would not buy ANY new clothes.  I'm not a huge shopper, but typically as the new season sets in I would choose to buy a new top or two - and definitely a new pair of flip flops!  Not this year.

Since giving up new clothes for Lent, I've gone shopping several times either with friends or my family.  How often did I see something that I wanted?  How many times did I notice a new shirt that would fit me perfectly?  And of course, the Easter dresses this year are better than ever!  Of course they are.  And yet, in the giving up, I have found myself to feel completely content.  I have noticed a new appreciation for the clothes that are in my closet.  I have found that I can live on much less shopping.  And I've put together some new outfits out of old things that I already owned.  And the best part....each time I realized that I wanted a new piece of clothing, I was reminded of Christ's own sacrifice - and it made my feeble attempt at sacrifice seem so insignificant.  It was in the giving up that I became more focused on the Giver. 

Our lives are to be about the giving up, not in a ritualistic way, but in a real way.  Lent has reminded me fully of that.  And each time I sacrifice - even a small amount - God is made more real in my life. He urges us to "give up" our own selfish desires, our wants and our ambitions for His way of living.  In giving up selfishness, we gain compassion.  In giving up bitterness, we gain peace.  In giving up pride, we gain humility.  In giving up discontentment, we gain thanksgiving.  It is in our best interests that He urges us to be obedient in the giving up.

In giving up, we gain more of Christ.  That's Easter.  He sacrificed and gave up everything so that we might have eternity.  In response, we prove our faith genuine by giving up whatever He asks of us and counting everything a loss but Him alone. 

Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it.  I identified myself completely with him.  Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ.  My ego is no longer central.  It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God.  Christ lives in me.  The life you see me living is not mine, but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Galatians 2:20  (The Message)