"If you remain in my word" ~John 8:31
As we draw close to the end of Lent, it's natural to feel the struggle. As with anything challenging, we're tempted to persevere, not to the end but right before the end when we think our strength has run out and we have done good enough. You could be feeling the desire to enjoy your favorite food or return to social media despite your commitment to wait until Easter, which is less than two weeks away. At the root of our "good enough" mindset is a spiritual struggle to square our human weaknesses with the "I can do all things" mantra.
If we are to "endure to the end" (Matt 24:13), we must "remain in [His] word." Many people treat Jesus's time in the desert, our inspiration for Lent, as nothing short of a Herculean achievement. The secret to His refutation of temptation is so obvious it's actually no secret at all. Jesus remained in the Word. The Word of God was a perfect fortress of sustenance and fortitude that the prince of darkness could not shake. Knowing the power of the Word, Satan used it against Jesus but to no avail since he used it as a tool instead of a guiding discipline.
When you remain in the Word, "you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free," Jesus says. No liberation lie of Satan could ever set Jesus free because he was already free by the Word. Refrain from complicating your spiritual life. If you are complicating it, you have not taken Christ's yoke upon you but replaced it with a false faith of the world (Matt 11:30). As we approach the last week of Lent, stay strong by remaining in the Word! Always improve the present moment.
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