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My Lenten Journey

2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear fiends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

As I have pondered the journey I am to take this Lenten season, this verse has spoken.  God's promise is for us to become sons and daughters through the removal of "unclean things" and separation from unbelievers.  My prayer through Lent is that the Spirit will reveal those "unclean things" in me that I may ask Jesus to step in and begin to cleanse me of them.  As for the unbeliever part, Paul was referring to being "yoked" with an unbeliever.  Since I am not yoked with an unbeliever, I feel called to journey in a different way with unbelievers.  There is a verse in chapter 5 which says, "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view."  Paul is speaking about believers looking at one another.  When I read it today, it spoke to me of unbelievers. (I think because of my job.)  We as followers of Christ must follow his example and see others, unbelievers included, as he did.  This does not mean that we conform to the patterns they follow or that we condone their choices or behaviors, but rather we regard them as Jesus does, through kingdom eyes filled with love and grace.  This is my Lenten journey, through the Spirit's working in me, to be cleansed of my "unclean things" and to regard all others with kingdom eyes.

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