Flourishing in Faith: Embracing Your Calling through Love, Service, and Discipleship this Lent
As we stand on the cusp of the Lenten season, traditionally a time for introspection and spiritual deepening, our thoughts are profoundly influenced by the recent Territorial Women Officers Retreat (TWOR) in Sandestin, FL. The theme 'Flourish' perfectly echoes the essence of the upcoming Lenten journey – a call to delve deeper into our flourishing faith, stripping away distractions to reveal our true essence in Christ.
It's remarkable to witness how the Holy Spirit orchestrates our spiritual paths. We’ve been preparing our 21 days of prayer for the new year and crafting our Lent Bible plan for the past few months. In these endeavors, we've felt God's guiding hand, leading us to explore the themes of fruitfulness and faithfulness, growing in faith, and fostering a deeper relationship with Jesus. These themes are central to our calling as officers and pivotal in our broader calling to discipleship. And there's no greater model for this journey than the life of surrender lived by Christ himself.
At TWOR, a transformative women's conference, we tangibly experienced the love and movement of the Holy Spirit. We walked, talked, celebrated, laughed, and cried among fellow officers. We felt cared for, reconnected with old friends, and savored the retreat the Holy Spirit had so beautifully orchestrated. Yet, an intriguing observation stood out: if asked at the beginning of the retreat whether we felt like we were flourishing, many of us might have hesitated to say 'yes.' This hesitation stemmed from a naive misconception that flourishing was mistakenly equated with the absence of problems.
However, as the retreat progressed, a profound realization dawned upon us. As we discovered through our discussions and reflections, true flourishing is deeply intertwined with faithfulness and fruitfulness in God's terms. It's about thriving in our spiritual journey, regardless of external circumstances. This understanding aligns perfectly with the Lenten season, where we are called to focus not on worldly measures of success but on spiritual growth and a flourishing faith, deepening our connection with God.
As we transition into Lent, carrying the valuable lessons and emotions from TWOR, we are reminded that flourishing in the Christian context is about much more than circumstantial ease. It is about abiding in Christ, nurturing a resilient spirit, and bearing fruit that withstands life's trials, all hallmarks of a flourishing faith.
In this Lenten season, as we launch our digital resource, 'The Measure of His Surrender: A Lent Bible Plan,' we invite you to join us on a 40-day journey that mirrors Jesus' resilience against temptation and embodies divine love and service. This period is an opportunity to reflect on Christ's life of surrender and consider how we, too, can flourish in our calling to discipleship, even amidst the challenges and complexities of life, thereby deepening our faith.
Let's embrace this Lent as a season to flourish truly – not by escaping our problems, but by facing them with faith and growing through them, just as Christ did. Together, we will explore how our lives can reflect the fruitfulness and faithfulness of a deep and abiding faith-theology relationship with God.
The Essence of Flourishing: A Prelude to Our Lenten Journey
The insights we gathered last January at TWOR in the serene Sandestin environment form the foundation of our upcoming Lent Bible plan, 'The Measure of His Surrender.' While the retreat was a transformative experience in spiritual renewal and understanding what true flourishing means, it also set the stage for a deeper exploration of these themes during Lent.
At TWOR, we delved into the multifaceted nature of flourishing – finding strength in vulnerability and grace amidst trials. This understanding is pivotal as we enter Lent, a season that calls for introspection and spiritual deepening.
Our experiences and discussions at TWOR are a perfect segue into the Lenten Bible Plan, offering spiritual refreshment. The lessons of flourishing, mainly through dependence on Christ, align with the Lenten ethos of self-reflection and seeking closer communion with God. 'The Measure of His Surrender' is designed to continue this exploration, taking us through a 40-day journey of reflection, mirroring Jesus' resilience against temptation and His ultimate sacrifice.
Let this Lent be a time where we revisit the fundamental truths about our spiritual growth and actively engage in practices that bring us closer to living a life of authentic discipleship, as exemplified by Christ. 'The Measure of His Surrender' is not just a Bible Plan; it's a call to action – to live out the true essence of flourishing and strengthening faith as we understand it in Christ.
Introducing "The Measure of His Surrender: A Lent Devotional"
In line with this year's Lenten theme, we are excited to unveil 'The Measure of His Surrender: A Lent Bible Plan,' a resource carefully crafted to guide you through these forty days of reflection and deepen your Christian faith. This devotional isn't just a daily bible reading; it's a journey into the heart of what it means to surrender fully to God's will to experience the transformative power of Christ’s love and sacrifice.
'The Measure of His Surrender' invites you to explore the wilderness experience of Jesus – a time of solitude, temptation, and profound spiritual encounters. It’s a journey that reflects our spiritual battles and underscores our victory in Christ, promising eternal life. Each week is an opportunity to engage with scripture meaningfully, allowing the words to seep into your heart and mind, strengthening your faith, and renewing your spirit.
Flourishing through Trials: A Lenten Perspective
The Bible Plan aligns with the insights from TWOR, emphasizing that flourishing in Christ often occurs amid life’s deserts – moments of isolation, challenge, and critical decision-making, instilling hope. By studying how Jesus navigated His wilderness experience, we gain invaluable lessons on resilience, dependence, and the beauty of surrender.
Throughout Lent, as we traverse the path Jesus walked, we understand that our trials, much like His, are not roadblocks but stepping stones to spiritual maturity and service. They are opportunities to deepen our reliance on God, to embody the lessons of Christ’s life, and to emerge stronger and more aligned with our true calling.
Joining the Lenten Journey
As we launch "The Measure of His Surrender," we invite you to join us in this 40-day sojourn of the soul, a journey that promises to be a memory etched in your spiritual consciousness. It’s more than a plan; it’s a commitment to explore the depths of your faith, confront your innermost challenges, and learn to lean wholly on God’s strength and wisdom.
This Lenten season, embrace the transformative path of love, service, and discipleship with real talk at the heart of your reflections. Let this time be one of genuine growth and flourishing, where you explore the full extent of your calling in Christ. Through the devotional, you’ll deepen your understanding of Christ’s journey and discover how His triumph over temptation and adversity can empower your own spiritual walk.
The Measure of Flourishing in Christ
As Valentine’s Day heralds the beginning of our Lenten observance, we are reminded of love's central role in our faith journey, akin to a spring of water nourishing our spiritual growth. Love – in its purest, most sacrificial form – is the cornerstone of our calling and the essence of Christ’s teachings.
In embracing "The Measure of His Surrender," we learn that flourishing in Christ is not about achieving a problem-free existence; it’s about growing into the fullness of who we were created to be. It’s about finding joy and purpose in our dependence on God, about allowing our brokenness to be the canvas on which Christ’s victory is most vividly painted as we shout for joy in His transformative power.
This Lent, let us walk together through the season.
