The Reason For Lent

"God loved the world so much," said Jesus, "that He gave it His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him can live forever with God. God sent His Son into the world to save it, not to judge it. Whoever does bad things turns away from the light, but whoever does good comes toward the light, to God."

It's the middle of Lent right now, and some kids are struggling to keep their promises about giving up something or doing something extra. What seemed like a good idea can get harder as time goes by!

If you're eagerly looking forward to Easter and 40 days of Lent is feeling like a really long time, this week's Gospel (John 3:14-21) might make you feel better.

In the Gospel story, Jesus is basically talking about what God the Father gave up. Jesus lived in heaven with His Father, but when the world needed someone to save it, God the Father gave up Jesus and sent Him to live on Earth to help.

If you're already tired of giving up chocolate or praying every day during Lent, imagine how hard God the Father's promise was! He wouldn't have wanted to be apart from His Son, but He sent Jesus into the world because Jesus could do good.

When you're hungry for the treats you gave up or frustrated with the extra work you're doing, it can be hard to remember why you're doing it. But the point of making any change during Lent is to keep you thinking about God. Hopefully, that will make you closer to God even when Lent is over.

Jesus came into the world because God loves us more than you can imagine - not to judge people, but to show God's love. So whatever you're doing for Lent, you can try and do it with love, too - even when you're missing snacks or feeling too tired to pray!

(03/19/09)