We were encouraged this year to participate in the Lent challenge. This challenge is rooted in the biblical story of Jesus’ 40-day fast and temptation in the desert before his public ministry. The idea is to commit to something for 40 days that will help improve your spiritual life and help you focus on Jesus. I decided to give up reading any news. It was incredibly peaceful not to be reading what was going wrong in our country or the world. Negative media sells. And this is what I fill my heart and mind with when I read or watch the news every day. In Proverbs we read, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). How conscious am I of guarding my heart? In Philippians we are encouraged to think about things which are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. We are told when we do this the peace of God will be with us (Philippians 4:8–9). This journey has made me realise that to experience God’s peace and His presence, I need to be conscious of what I read or watch every day—for it will impact my thoughts and my life. Open Bible – https://bit.ly/pro4v23, https://bit.ly/Phi4v8-9 (Nicky B)
