Lent Archives - Sharla Fritz

Practicing Lent: Submission

Sharla March 27, 2018

One day, when our children were ages three and six, my husband came home from work and announced, “Let’s homeschool next year.”

My first thought was, “That’s easy for you to say since you wouldn’t be the one doing it.”

My second thought was, “I’ve already told God that homeschooling is something I would NEVER do.”

Submission is a spiritual discipline. Not necessarily in submitting to our husbands or to figures of authority–although God may deal with us in those areas as well. I’m talking about submission to God. Surrendering to God’s will for our lives is a way to demonstrate our trust in His goodness and love.

Lent is a time when we often give up something–a sacrifice of a food or activity that will help us remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. When I read the Gospels I am astounded by Christ’s constant sacrifice for us on earth. Not only a surrender of His life on the cross but a daily sacrifice of His own preferences–a submission to the Father’s will.

Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane informs us that the sacrifice on the cross was not easy. He asked if there was any other way to accomplish the Father’s plan, but He added, “Not as I will, but as You will.” And even before Gethsemane, Jesus often said that His purpose was to do the Father’s will. He gave up a lot when He came to earth. In heaven, Jesus was worshipped; on earth, He was questioned and ridiculed. In heaven, Jesus never experienced hunger or pain; on earth, His stomach growled and His feet probably developed blisters. But when God asked Jesus to give up His life for unworthy humans, Jesus didn’t stamp those feet and declare–like I did–“That is something I will NEVER do.” He submitted to the will of the Father.

All those years ago when my husband suggested homeschooling, I told my husband I would look into it. I had no intention of actually educating my children at home, but my plan was to do a little research and then inform my husband that it wasn’t for us. Trouble was, as I was reading about homeschooling, I could feel the Spirit’s gentle nudge that this was God’s plan for us. I didn’t want to homeschool, but eventually, I submitted my will to God’s idea and enjoyed fifteen wonderful years of educating my children.

Is the Lord asking you to exercise the Spiritual discipline of Submission? Maybe you already sense God asking you to do something that you are not exactly thrilled about. Perhaps you’ve already drawn a line in the sand and told God, “Never.” But God is drawing you to Himself reminding you of His great love and that He has wonderful plans for your life. All He asks is that we trust Him.

Pray, asking the Father if there is something you need to surrender in order to grow in faith. Ask Him:

Are You nudging me to do something that’s out of my comfort zone?
Is there dream or goal that I have that is not in Your plan?
Is there a hobby, activity, or organization that I need to give up in order to spend more time with You?
Lord, is there something wonderful You have for me that I haven’t even thought of?

As we remember Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, let us also ask God if there is something in our own lives that we need to surrender. It is never easy to give up our own ideas, our own plans, our own dreams, but God promises that He has something wonderful planned for us.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

He is ready to give us more than we have ever dreamed.

Next step: Download this resource with Scriptures about Christ’s submission to the Father’s will. This week contemplate Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. Then ask the Father if there is anything you need to surrender.

Practicing Lent: Kindness

Sharla March 20, 2018

My mother, Lorna, is an expert in practicing kindness. She bakes apple pies for the people who mow her lawn and shovel her snow. She makes meals for those who are ill. She takes the time to visit people in nursing homes and hospitals. She often practices the Spiritual discipline of kindness.

Spiritual disciplines are often divided into categories of inward and outward practices. Inward disciplines include Scripture study, prayer, and meditation. Outward practices include mentoring, hospitality, and service.

Often I think of service as something big and time-consuming like spending a day at a homeless shelter or taking time each week to volunteer at a food pantry. These are wonderful ways to serve, but service does not always have to be something huge and impressive. Sometimes it’s the little things that mean a lot.

Simple kindness is one way we can serve each other. Kindness is listed as a fruit of the Spirit along with love, joy, and peace. Yet, kindness often seems to be in short supply in the world. Drivers honk their horns. People cut in lines. Frustrated parents yell at their kids.

I am no different. Although I want to exhibit the fruit of kindness, do I allow that driver coming out of McDonald’s to merge in front of me? Well, no. Do I take the time to take soup to an ailing church member? Um, no.

Kindness begins with noticing. Too often I am too busy, too focused on getting everything checked off my to-do list to even observe who could use an encouraging word. To see the disappointment on a child’s face. To realize my friend is hurting.

But I want to do better. This week I’m asking God to develop the fruit of kindness in me. To help me notice someone each day who needs a kind word or a bit of help.

Because this doesn’t come naturally to me, I did a little research on the Internet on simple ways to show kindness:

Smile and say hello to a stranger walking on the street.
Buy a cup of coffee for the person in line behind you at the coffee shop.
Leave a sweet note for someone you love.
Bring a meal to someone who is ill.
Give a compliment to someone who isn’t expecting one.
Bring a treat to share with coworkers.
Send a card to someone just to let them know you are praying for them.
Text a friend a picture that says, “I’m thinking of you” or “Remember this?”
Buy cookies or popcorn or whatever from the little kid who shows up at your front door.
Invite a friend to lunch.

I once heard a Christian speaker say that she wished that whenever people in the world thought of Christians, they would always think of them as the kindest people they knew.

Jesus was kind. Even on His busiest days, He stopped on His journey to heal a servant and offer words of encouragement to a suffering woman. He took the time to bless “insignificant” little children. When we practice kindness, we are demonstrating the love of Christ. The One who loved us enough to die for us motivates us to share His love.

This week, let’s meditate on God’s kindness to us. Let’s pray that God would help us notice hurting people who cross our paths and to enable us to give them a small gift of kindness.

Next step: Download this resource with Scriptures on kindness. Every morning ask God to help you notice at least one person who needs a gift of kindness.

Practicing Lent: Prayer Walking

Sharla March 6, 2018

Several years ago, one of our church members suggested that our congregation try prayer walking.

Prayer walking?

I had never heard of it. Mary explained that prayer walking was simply walking through a neighborhood and praying for the people who lived there. She suggested that we do it as a ministry to the people who lived near our church.

So one Saturday morning we gathered at the church and divided into groups of two. We divvied up the area around the church and two by two each group walked a few blocks, praying as they went. We didn’t stop and bow our heads and fold our hands. People observing us would have thought we were simply talking to each other. But we were doing something much more important.

We were talking to God.

“Lord, we pray for the family that lives in this house. May You grant them health.”

“Holy Spirit, draw the people in this neighborhood to You. Help our congregation be a mirror of Your love.”

“Father, where people are hurting, show them Your peace.”

The simple act of prayer walking helped us connect to God and to the people we were praying for. Our hearts were more aware of the people who lived in the houses we passed by each Sunday on the way to church.

Prayer is an important Spiritual discipline. God gives us the privilege of approaching Him in prayer.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

He instructs us to pray for others.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people. 1 Timothy 2:1

He tells us that our prayers make a difference.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16

He invites us to pour out our hearts to Him.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah Psalm 62:8

Why try prayer-walking? Perhaps you feel your prayer life needs a jump-start–prayer walking can give you a fresh perspective. Or maybe you are an action-oriented person–prayer walking may seem more engaging than sitting with your eyes closed. Perhaps God is calling you to pray for a certain group of people–prayer walking in their environment will open your eyes to their needs.

Here are some ways to try Prayer Walking:

Prayer Walk through your neighborhood. Like my church did, pray for the people who live near you.
Prayer Walk through your workplace. On a coffee break, walk through your office space or work area, silently praying for your coworkers.
Prayer Walk through your church. Alone or with a friend, walk through the spaces of the church praying for the pastors, the musicians, the people who sit in the pews, and the kids in the Sunday School rooms.
Prayer Walk in or around city hall, court buildings, or other places of government. Pray for public officials, that God’s wisdom would be upon them.
Prayer Walk in nature. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Praise God for His creative genius as you walk in a park or hike in a forest.

Walking in nature is one of my favorite things to do. Somehow I feel closer to God away from manmade things. In the quiet of His creation, I am refreshed in His love.

This week–take a walk. Embrace the privilege of prayer and talk to the God who hears.

Next step: Block out a period of time this week for a prayer walk. Decide where you want to walk. Download this resource with Scripture verses to inspire your prayers.

Practicing Lent: Personalizing Scripture

Sharla February 20, 2018

When I was eighteen, a friend of mine gave me a bookmark and I was ecstatic.

Not only because I love to read and always need a bookmark nearby. Not only because it was beautifully handcrafted.

I was over the moon because my friend had cross-stitched my name on the bookmark!

With a name like Sharla, you can’t go to the drugstore and find a personalized toothbrush. Stores do not stock key chains or notebooks or pencils with “Sharla” printed on them.

So having something with my name on it felt so “personal.” It was unique to me. Only another Sharla would want it (and I’ve only met two other Sharlas in my lifetime).

Recently, my small group was studying 1 Corinthians with the book Live Full, Walk Free. In the last chapter, author Cindy Bultema encouraged readers to personalize 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 by inserting their name in place of the word love.

For example:

Sharla is patient, Sharla is kind. Sharla does not envy, she does not boast, Sharla is not proud. Sharla does not dishonor others, she is not self-seeking, Sharla is not easily angered, she keeps no record of wrongs.

Honestly, this exercise made me cringe a bit because every statement seemed so untrue. I have been known to envy grandparents who have their grandchildren in the same city. I am definitely not patient when my computer fails to cooperate. (Just ask my husband.)

But the process of personalizing this passage was helpful. It brought me to my knees, asking the Holy Spirit to weave this kind of love into my heart.

Personalizing Scripture can be a meaningful spiritual practice. Sometimes it’s easy to read the Bible like a dusty volume directed at people who lived thousands of years ago. Or hear a passage and think of someone else who needs that message. We don’t always feel the impact of God’s words on our own hearts and lives.

But when we put our own names into the passage it can take on a deeper meaning.

One of my favorite passages is Zephaniah 3:17:

The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you;
He will quiet you with His love;
He will rejoice over you with singing. (NIV 1984)

Now if I put my own name in the verse:

The Lord your God is with Sharla,
he is mighty to save Sharla.

Suddenly, God seems nearer. I marvel that the Lord rescued insignificant me from Satan and hell.

He will take great delight in Sharla;

Amazing thought! God’s heart is gladdened by me!

He will quiet Sharla with His love;

God knows I am easily stressed out. He is all too aware of my worries and concerns. But He can also quiet my insecurities and anxieties with His love.

He will rejoice over Sharla with singing.

What?! I inspire song? And music? What an incredible image of God singing songs with my name.

Now it’s your turn. Put your own name in Zephaniah 3:17.

Revel in God’s love for you. Rejoice in His saving strength. Listen for His love song.

Next step: This week practice Personalizing Scripture. Download a resource with Scripture verses to use for this exercise or find your own. Journal what you learned through these personal words of God.

Practicing Lent: Prayer of Recollection

Sharla February 13, 2018

I settled in my cozy chair, ready to open my Bible and hear from God. Ready to open up to God and tell Him all that was in my heart.

But even as I sat in peaceful quiet, my thoughts left the pages of Scripture and ran to my to-do list. As I spoke to my Savior, my conversation was interrupted by thoughts about upcoming teaching responsibilities, the embarrassing incident that happened yesterday, and the laundry in the dryer.

No doubt about it, I am easily distracted.

During this Lenten season, I want to take time to focus on Christ and the sacrifice He made for me. To do this, I am going to use Spiritual Disciplines–practices Christians have used for centuries to grow closer to God. No doubt, you already use some of these practices–like Bible study, prayer, Holy Communion, and Christian service.

During the next few weeks, I am going to explore some specific forms of these Spiritual disciplines and invite you to do the same. All of these practices will be based on Scripture. As we read, pray, and meditate we will do so using God’s own words to us.

Prayer of Recollection

This week we will explore the Prayer of Recollection. There are many forms of this prayer, but the purpose is always the same. In the Prayer of Recollection, I recollect–remember who I am in Christ.

Too often I forget this. I see myself as a wife, mother, daughter. I define myself by the work I do. I look in the mirror and see someone who said something insensitive to her spouse. The person who was too busy to help a grieving friend. I wish I could change the mistakes of yesterday.

Too often I forget who I am in Christ. I fail to remember that I am more than my mistakes and flaws. I am more than what I do.

That’s when I need to go to God’s Word. There the Spirit reminds me:

I am accepted.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7

I am chosen.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. John 15:16

I am loved.

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

I am made new.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

As I meditate on these truths, I recollect–remember–who I really am.

Dealing with Distractions

But even as I pray and try to direct my thoughts to God’s Word, my mind seems to wander off to other destinations.

Even as I meditate on Christ’s acceptance of me, I wonder if my new boss has accepted me. As I contemplate what it means to be chosen by God, I start to hope I will be chosen for a position that would garner a lot of public attention. Even as I remember Christ’s sacrificial love for me, my thoughts traipse through my to-do list.

I can berate myself and tell myself to get my act together, or I can recollect my soul–bring it back to God by taking note of my distractions. As I pray, I notice my rambling thoughts so that the Holy Spirit can gently deal with any distractions of my heart.

Adele Calhoun writes in her Spiritual Disciplines Handbook:

In the prayer of recollection we pay attention to our wandering thoughts and attachments so that we can be transformed….We open ourselves to seeing how secondary things have become idols of the heart–how our agendas, possessions, appearances and comforts matter more than keeping God first in our lives.

I find it helpful to keep a journal or a simple piece of paper nearby to write down any distractions that come to mind while I’m praying. Putting the reminder to make that dentist appointment on paper, gets it off my mind so I can refocus on Christ. But as I make note of these distractions, I may also discover the “idols of my heart.” Do my thoughts continually travel to an upcoming vacation? Do they constantly turn to my long to-do list? Do I spend more time thinking about my job than God?

I can take all of these diversions to God. I confess any idols. I give Him my concerns and anxieties. As I confess, I receive His forgiveness because of Christ’s work on the cross (1 John 1:9). I am comforted, knowing that the Father is in caring control of all that is happening in my life.

And then, I once again remember that I am a beloved child of God.

Next step: This week practice the prayer of recollection. Download a resource of Scriptures to guide your prayers.

Recollect who you are in Christ

Record any distracting thoughts

Recieve God’s forgiveness and comfort

And again, recollect who you are in Christ.

Maundy Thursday: The Dark Before the Dawn

Sharla March 24, 2016

Easter is almost here.

But before we get to the joyful celebration of Resurrection Sunday, we need to go through the darkness of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible tells us what Jesus talked about to His disciples on the night before He went to the cross. John’s Gospel uses five of its twenty-one chapters to give us a seat at the table with the other disciples. We see Jesus washing His follower’s feet, sharing a meal with them, giving them last minute instructions, and praying for them.

John tells us that Jesus “showed them the full extent of His love” when He washed their feet (John 13:1). He lets us know that Jesus was “troubled in spirit” (John 13:21). We see Jesus’ heart for all of His disciples when He lifts His eyes to heaven and prays for us even as He is preparing for the most difficult mission of His life.

Jesus told the disciples:

I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. (John 13:20-22).

The world looked incredibly dark to the disciples on Good Friday. Their beloved Friend had died. They didn’t understand.

But the time of rejoicing was coming.

Much of life is like that too. We have grief, sorrow, sadness. Problems multiply. We experience pain, anguish. We don’t understand what is happening.

But Jesus promises us that a better time is coming. In the end we will see Him and rejoice. And even now in the dark time we can feel “the full extent of His love” (John 13:21). We can experience His peace. We can look forward to joy.

So hang on:

“Your grief will turn to joy.”

Next Step: Thank God for “the full extent of His love” that He demonstrated on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

Finding Focus — in Lent

Sharla February 17, 2015

I’m on a quest to find more focus in my life. To zero in on the important and to ignore the rest.

To help me in this quest I am going to observe the holy Lenten season. Lent is the period of forty days leading up to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count.) It is a period of focusing on Christ and His enormous sacrifice and boundless love for us. During this time we can abandon the frivolous and concentrate on the eternal. It can be a season of transformation as we pull our chair closer to hear God’s words to us.

Three tools I am going to use to concentrate on the spiritual during this time are:

Fasting. The whole idea of forty days of Lent may have been inspired by Jesus’ forty-day fast before He began His earthly ministry. But please don’t try this at home. Fasting as a spiritual discipline can have life-changing effects, but forty days is extreme. Try fasting one day a week during this season of Lent. Or give up a favorite food or activity for forty days. In the past I have abstained from chocolate, ice cream, TV watching and shopping. When I do this kind of focused fast I am reminded of Jesus’ sacrifice every time I deny myself a simple pleasure.

Bible study. Lean in to hear God speak by spending more time in His Word during the next forty days. There are many ways to do this. My Bible studies Soul Spa, Divine Design and Bless These Lips are designed to be completed in 40 days. This year I am leading a journey through practicing Spiritual Disciplines. My daughter and her husband have written a family Lenten devotional.

I have been praying about how God would like me to spend time in His Word these 40 days. Continuing with my theme of focus, I have decided to concentrate on one book of the Bible. Philippians seems the perfect book as it talks about Christ’s sacrifice and becoming more like Him. I am going to prayerfully read this book every day of Lent asking God to change me through His Word.

Focus on Christ. Fasting and Bible study can become merely rituals of Lent. If we’re not concentrating on Christ, they are only outward habits that will not transform our souls. But if I recall Jesus’ sacrifice when I turn down that piece of three-layer chocolate cake, my heart can be content with God’s presence. If I listen for the Holy Spirit’s voice as I read the Word, He can satisfy my soul.

Jesus is ready to bless you with joy, love, and transforming grace. Receive His blessings. Look for Him in the ordinary moments of this Lenten season. Hear His voice speak His care for you in His Word.