DON'T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF THIS LENT!

Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Readings: Jonah 3:1-10; Luke 11:29-32

“Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.” The people of Nineveh repented of their sins when they heard Jonah give that warning. Lent is a period of forty days. What if we were to hear, “Forty days more and the world will be destroyed?” If we believed it we probably would panic like the Ninevites and get very serious about repenting of our sins. God’s wants us to be serious, but I doubt he wants us to panic and overdo it.

Some people bite off more than they can chew. They lay plans for themselves that are not possible to complete. Like those who make a long list of New Year’s resolutions, there are some people who overburden themselves with Lenten practices. Whether this is our last forty days on this earth or we have forty more years, God does not want us to go to extremes. We are to be serious about the state of our souls, we are to pray, we are to do penance and perform acts of love, and not just during Lent - all year round. But humility tells us we must not try to accomplish more than we are capable of.

There can be burnout in the spiritual life as well as in the physical. I have seen people try too hard, and when they do not accomplish the goals they set for themselves they get discouraged and give up their religion entirely. Too much too soon can harm us more than help us. All must be done in accordance with God’s will and time schedule. Let us not forget he took millions of years to send the world a redeemer. Though we don’t have that long, even our praying and doing good works are to be according to God’s will. God wants no one to panic. He wants us to approach our spirituality seriously and with determination, but calmly and with balance.

Continue with your forty days or years, but don’t forget to whistle and laugh while you do God’s work of loving.