IN MANY WAYS, the entire season of Lent is summed up in Christ’s words in Luke 21:34: “Be on guard.” Spiritual sobriety is the invitation before us in this extended season of repentance. We must wake up to the countless ways in which we are inattentive to his voice and unaware of our own apathy and anxiety.

If we do not have a habit of daily attentiveness to Christ, the seemingly mundane challenges of life can grow into an unbearable burden. Taken in isolation, these difficulties may seem small: financial anxiety, wayward children, loneliness, or a lack of intimacy. Yet if these longings are left unattended and allowed to fester, they will slowly but surely overtake our hearts and consume our every thought.

Faithful discipleship requires us to battle these temptations towards despondency and sorrow, contending for that which is eternal. In this way, Lent is a training ground for your soul. Enter the arena and pray to God for the strength to be unencumbered by sin and earthly cares, living instead with a heart set free to anticipate the coming of his kingdom.