Today is the start of the Lenten season.
My journey feels like the proverbial riddle question …. What happens when you cross a ___ with a ____ ?
Let me explain….
There are bloggers whom I love to read and I do read faithfully. Their words touch me deeply causing me to think in ways which change me. When opportunity presented itself to join the launch team of a favorite, I jumped to sign up. While waiting to see if I would be accepted, I read the post of another favorite, Margaret Feinberg, in which she included a reading challenge. Hence the riddle question ….
What happens when you cross the New Testament reading challenge of a favorite blogger with the book launch of another favorite blogger?
You get my Lenten journey for the next forty days!!!
It was with excitement that I began to read Love Idol by Jennifer Dukes Lee. Little did I know what was about to stir in my heart. Sure, I have had idols in my life, in the past –
- my marriage, particularly, my husband
- my children, I love being a mom!
- my position as a licensed daycare provider who had a waiting list
- insecurity and the desire for approval of others
But God had pretty much dealt with and uprooted each of those in my life. Painfully so but He had done the much needed (and required) work. The email came saying I was on the launch team and included the first chapter of the book. So I read it….
Whatever rules our hearts becomes our lord. The person who seeks approval and acceptance can become controlled by it. The person who is motivated primarily by a need for human affirmation is, in the end, ruled by it. (Jennifer Dukes Lee)
And then there was the verse on my calendar …
I knew this already and began to question … “Is there anything, anything at all, which is ruling my heart or even attempting to rule my heart, other than You, Lord?”
My suggestion would be to not ask that question of Him unless you truly want Him to show you because He will respond. For me, the answer showed up in a question innocently asked by a family member ….
“How is your blog doing this week?”
There is nothing wrong with the question. My family member was asking out of genuine interest. But the question wiggled under my skin and began to uncover something – a desire for approval or perhaps to make a name for myself. Definitely a wrong motive for blogging.
Now back to the original question ….
What happens when you cross the New Testament reading challenge of a favorite blogger with the book launch of another favorite blogger?
You get my Lenten journey for the next forty days which will look like this …
- I will blog silently. No self-promotion. I’m leaving the outcomes to Him.
- I am giving up bread for the next 40 days as I go through the New Testament reading challenge. I want my focus to be on the Bread of Life, Who is my source of nourishment, or sustenance, of all meaning.
For the next forty days, I want to be quiet before the God, a little less active. No striving for affirmation in numbers or possible statistics. I want to focus on what He alone is saying. I want to be more aware of His enabling in my inadequacies. I want to see His activity in my life.
Can you hear the sound – – - the sound of a few idols crumbling down in my life?
May I not emerge from this journey the same person. May I be free of the need for the approval of others.
May all I do be for an audience of One – my God.
During this Lent season, may we be willing to let go of those things which are taking up space in our hearts intended to be filled with God alone.
I am joining Jennifer Lee in a journey to remove #LoveIdols from our lives. The book becomes available April 1st – Love Idol: Letting Go of Your Need for Approval – and Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes. It is available now for pre-order. Come join the movement on Facebook too.
Also, here is the link to Margaret Feinberg’s, 5 Ways to Revolutionize Your Walk With Christ, a Lent reading challenge.
Today I am joining with … Tell His Story and Wed. Prayer Girls and Wordless Wed. and Winsome Wed. and Three Word Wed. and A Little R & R and Whimsical Wed. and Wedded Wed. and Works For Me and Wholehearted Wed. and Words of Life Wed. and Imperfect Prose .
Beautiful, beautiful, Joanne. I can’t wait to read Jennifer’s book and l love reading the impact it is already having on others. Praying for you sweet friend through this Lenten journey. Love you so.
Beth, you have no idea how your encouragement always blesses me. You will absolutely love her book. God is going to do great things in the lives of those who read it & do the hard work of removing the idols. Hugs, friend!
Joanne, I love how God can just connect the dots for us. Jennifer’s new book sounds like one I should add to my ever increasing to be read list. I have struggled with keeping blogging from becoming an something that defines by sense of worth as well.
Wanda, I have been amazed at how many of us can define ourselves by what we do rather than who we are in Him. You will be blessed in reading the book. You are a blessing!
Love, love, love this. I totally feel you on the platform stuff and am so grateful that God continues to press on me that He will worry about all that! I’m loving this concentration on being preapproved and leaving our love idols behind. Thanks for your encouraging words.
Holly, it is amazing how we fall for the “platform stuff” as you worded it. May He be the only foundation we build & stand on!
Oh how I love this! Thank you for your encouragement through your honesty and sharing – I too have many of these same struggles – and isn’t the Lord sweet to reveal them to us, and then guide us in laying them down at His feet so that our focus is on Him and not on ourselves. I’ll be praying for you and would covet your prayers as I walk through the same! Blessings to you!!
May we continue in prayer in the days ahead in the season. He is wanting to do a deeper work in us as we lay down our struggles before Him. Blessings!
I am with you, Joanne, constantly checking in to make sure I keep Him at the forefront, promoting His name and not my own. I commend your decision to write for Him alone and let Him take care of the rest. I will be sharing your content and I’m sure many of your other sisters will, too. Bread is a hard one – you are brave. I’ve given up breakfast.
Laura, this comment meant much to me. I am amazed at all that He has done today in & through sharing with my family. I felt to give up something which would be hard for me. Breakfast would be hard for me too probably because my breakfasts mostly consist of bread. But as I ate my yogurt & fruit & cheese this morning, I remembered He is my daily Bread! You are such an encourager!
Yes, I hear the death cries of idols wishing to hang on!
bless you as you journey through…
It’s amazing how sin and idolatry creep into our lives isn’t it. I was just thinking, “How does she get so many comments.” Oh boy…
It is so insidious! Seriously! May we journey through & walk in freedom.
I love that you are giving up “bread” as you focus on the “Bread of Life” this Lent. What a great idea. I just may be overly fond of bread myself, and the approval of others, yes, that too.
Elizabeth, so grateful to be going on this journey with you! I needed to sacrifice something that would both be difficult & bring me proper focus. I must admit, as I sit here with my 3rd cup of morning coffee, I am so grateful He didn’t compel me to focus on living water as it probably would have meant coffee 🙂
I was also challenged to do Margaret Feinberg’s reading plan for the 40 days and my husband and I decided to do it together so we are reading it out aloud to each other. Another couple we know also agreed to do it and we are supporting each other vis facebook. Was also challenged by Jennifer’s “Love Idols” but I am still thinking on this one. Every blessing on your Lenten journey this year.
The reading challenge has been excellent! I am so loving it. What a great idea to do it together with another couple. May God bless this time of both reading & sharing!
So grateful that you’re on the journey, and I am praying for you as you wrestle down your love idol. I know that God will bless you through this. Keep shining for Him, and for His glory…
(Posting a photo and a link to your blog today at 4:45 CT on the Love Idol Movement page on FB… )
Jennifer. I am grateful to be on this journey. I am loving the book. Even took it with me to get my hair cut & colored yesterday. Almost done with it & I so do not want to close the pages. Praying God will use every word to free many & for His glory!
Joanne,
I appreciate your honesty and I know this is one I struggle with on and off..when I am fully resting in God’s love then no idol, but when I get distracted…not so good..blessings as you begin your Lenten journey 🙂
You hit it on the head – when we rest in God’s love then no idol. So very true, Dolly. May this be a season of resting in Him & knowing He loves us deeply. Thank you for sharing this with me!
Joanne,
Your words have piqued my interest about Love Idol. I think it might have to be added to my wish list 😉
This blogging thing. I keep seeing over and over again, for myself, that I need to stop comparing myself to others and just do the next thing to the glory of God. But those numbers. They have a way of pulling me in.
I find I’m always walking away from your blog in a very thoughtful state. Thank you for your writing!
Thank you for your encouragement as it means much. May we find ourselves thinking more of Him as we write and as we read. Blessings!
Good for you. It’s such a fine line when we cross it we don’t always know, but our Father does. I appreciate the heart and truth. Asking tough questions of our Father usually leaves tough answers and revelations about our hearts… Mine is no different. Truth hurts initially sometimes…
So glad you shared, Floyd. Your comment brought to mind Psalm 32:2 (NLT) which I had to stop & read, “Yet what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are live in complete honesty!” Blessings!
I can so relate to you. We all need to know that what we are striving for does count.well, I need make my priority straight. my really purpose in blogging is to bring glory to God and to reach souls for him. So, I need to remind myself all the time.
In the bible it said that if we lift up God, He will draw people unto us. Not for our glory of course, but for His glory.
Nice to get to know you. Wishing you a nice week ahead.
So glad you stopped to share. May all we do be for His renown!
What a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing this! I’m on a lenten journey to connect more with God’s word as well. I’m also decluttering the physical things in my life as I do that. I’ve already stumbled, but your post is such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing this.
Decluttering our lives is not as easy as it sounds. May we pick ourselves up when we stumble and keep moving forward, grateful for the progress we make with each step. Grateful that you stopped here! Blessings you be blessed on your journey!