Giving up watermelon for Lent

This morning, working out at the hotel gym where I'm staying, I caught a little banter that the guys on the financial channel were throwing out for today's Ash Wednesday "so,what are you giving up for Lent this year?" conversation.  Somehow, I caught this little exchange and was a little surprised that the guy who "apparently" observed Lent said that he was giving up watermelon this year.  In fact, he said, he gives up watermelon every year.

The other commentator bantered back, "that's not much of a sacrifice."  To which Mr. Watermelon replied with something like "perhaps next year I'll give up something else."

Now, I'm not Catholic nor do I prescribe to a ritualistic religion of works, rather an embracing of the grace Jesus offers to us through the cross.  However, I do think there's something cool about the idea of sacrificing something during the 40 days preceding Easter.  I'm not so sure about watermelon, though.  I agree with the "other guy" that it's just not that much of a sacrifice.

Especially considering that Jesus gave up a lot to save us.  I mean, a LOT.

Perhaps, for next year, this guy could come up with something a little more fitting... like,

• Giving up access to some kind of media or entertainment that you frequent
• Giving up the inhibitions you have around associating with people that are less successful, less influential, less acceptable by your circle of friends... and allowing them to speak into your life
• Giving up some of your time, talent, and treasure to support the spread of the gospel
• Giving up access to some of your creature comforts
• Giving up your right to talk critically about others

Of course, I would be a little hypocritical to think that my so-called "sacrifices" are much better.  Sometimes I think that as an American Christian, that what I call a "sacrifice" when compared to what Jesus did...   

• leave Heaven and the presence of angelic worship
• hang out with sinners and tax collectors, not to mention 12 clueless guys and one that would stab him in the back
• touch lepers, 
• be told by religious people that He's a glutton, drunkard, blasphemer, the prince of demons, etc... and 
• die an inhuman death on a cross 

so that I can have eternal life through Him.  

Is what I'm giving up in worship to him, much better than...

giving up watermelon for Lent?

He is worth much more than that. He's worth our laying down our lives.  

What we get in exchange for our giving up our lives... is a much better life, a life that God enables if we let him.  And in the end after we live this great adventure... eternal life.

We don't get this... when we just give God watermelon for Lent... or whatever our piddly religious act of self-serving duty is.

He wants so much more... and only once we give Him all of us, does He give us all of Him.  And to really experience life, that is what we really need.  

That is what I desperately need.  Please Lord have all of me, because I need all of you :-)

And thank you for giving all of yourself... we have no idea how amazing Your act of grace and sacrifice was; I only receive it as an unearned gift of grace.