Week 1 March 2026, Impromptu Devotion

Mar 2

2 min read

LENT commemorates Christ’s fast in the desert where Satan first tempted Him to turn stones into bread. Is my giving up desserts for 40 days a proper tribute to what it cost Him to secure my salvation by that agonizing death on the cross?. Something more biblical came into view when I chanced upon a Catholic mission organization called FOCUS, defined as follows: “Make disciples for Christ. First, we invite people into a relationship with Jesus in our church. Then, we accompany them along their journey. Finally, we equip them to share their Faith with others.” They published a list of 19 things to give up to prevent “post-Lent-guilt,” some rephrased for brevity by me. A degree of difficulty ranging from 1 to 5 is assigned to each, plus a Bible verse to state its spiritual benefit. The “holy catholic church” of our Apostle’s Creed wholly approves.

1 Complaining, 4, Philippians 2:14

2 Doom Scrolling, 3, Proverbs 25:28

3 Snacking between meals out of boredom or habit, 3, 1 Corinthians 10:31

4 Overthinking as perfectionists or chronic worriers, 5, 1 Peter 5:7

5 Procrastination, 4, Colossians 3:23

6 Using negative, critical words about yourself, 3, Genesis 1:27

7 Driving impatiently, 2, Proverbs 16:32

8 Impulse-buying of non-essential items, 3, Matthew 6:19-20

9 Saying “Yes” to everything as people pleasers, 4, Ephesians 6:6

10 Listening to secular music indiscriminately, 2, Philippians 4:8

11 Skipping exercise, neglecting physical health, 3, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

12 Food delivery or frequent eating out, 4, 1 Corinthians 10:31