We are in the Lenten Season, where we are called to prepare our hearts for Christ through prayer, fasting, & almsgiving.
Growing up, I would often fast from sweets (and more often than not failing to do so), but this year, and in recent years, I have taken upon the spiritual journey of Exodus. If you are unsure of what Exodus is, here it is in a nut shell:
Seeking and uncommon freedom in Christ through means of prayer, fraternity, and ascetic practices.
My questions to my youth are:
What do you need freedom from?
What are you attached to, or enslaved by?
This question can seem big, but often times the answers are in the small things that we don't notice as easily. Here are some examples.
Watching videos on our phones isn't necessarily evil, but maybe I can't seem to stop when I need to. Maybe right after I close an app, I open the exact same app right after. Perhaps being on your phone actually takes away from quality time from the people around you.
Another thing can be video games. While video games aren't necessarily evil, but maybe I find myself staying on for hours when I actually need to be asleep, or perhaps I am not doing my homework when I should be because I am busy playing games.
In my case, I found myself spending money on unnecessary things because I felt like I needed it or I couldn't control myself.
Can you relate?
Sometimes the things that keep us 'enslaved' are not things that are bad, but they just end up consuming us; and our time. We need to learn how to say no to ourselves. We need discipline. We need Jesus.
When we dive into Lent, we can find an uncommon freedom in Christ from these brain numbing things, but it won't be easy. Are you willing to try?
More on this topic to follow.
If this topic interests you, feel free to reach out and chat with me about it.