A greeting from Todd: Greetings on this Tuesday afternoon! Our Lenten Devotional for today was written by Jacob Greenstein! For those of you who might not yet know Jacob, he is a freshman from Sacramento, CA, studying Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations. I first met Jacob at Frogs First Chapel in August as he was beginning his college experience. From there Jacob quickly got involved with TCU Better Together, which is an interfaith ministry that I work with in The Office of Religious & Spiritual Life. It didn’t take long for me to recognize Jacob’s maturity, commitment, and his intentional effort to both understand and work with individuals from all faith traditions. Jacob recently started serving on the leadership team of TCU Better Together, and has proven himself to be a devoted person of faith and team member. I’m so thankful for the work he has done this year and for his willingness to share a small piece of his self here today! Blessings, Todd
March 5, 2013 By: Jacob Greenstein
Romans 7:14-25
“14, For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. 15, I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16, Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17, But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18, For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19, For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20, Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.21, So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22, For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24, Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25, Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
It seems to me that each day we have the choice to do what is right in our lives. While we always have the ability to do what is right, some of us struggle to make healthier and more faithful decisions. I know that I’ve struggled with that at different points in my own life. Losing people I love, dealing with unhealthy relationships, family illnesses, and other issues have consistently challenged my relationship with God. Eventually I came to realize that when I thought God had abandoned me at my lowest points, He had always there with me seeing me through them.
While my relationship with God has grown, I still struggle to make the time I should for Him in my life. It’s because of this that I have devoted this Lenten season to strengthening my relationship with God. Now, I strive to spend at least a small portion of each day in prayer or meditation so that I can reconnect with my faith.
During lent, we should stop and examine ourselves. Think about the habits that might make you difficult to get along with, and ask yourself how you can change them. Reflect on the ways you can deepen your relationship with God, and think about practices that will help you achieve them. Lent is about reflecting on Christ’s journey as well as strengthening our own journey of faith. Let us take this Lenten season to reflect on Jesus’ suffering and our own struggles, and look for the hope and strength to break free from the shackles we have cast upon ourselves with our sins. Maybe then we can know Jesus’ love more deeply, and embody it to others more freely.
I pray that we all have the dedication and fortitude to work at mending the flaws we have inside of us. I ask the Lord to give us the extra support we may need during this Lenten season, if we should begin to fall short of our goal to become more faithful individuals in our everyday lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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