Lent - Honesty Before Holiness
Why Lent Begins With Returning, Not Improving
Do you ever feel busy yet strangely unfinished?
You move from task to task, screen to screen, obligation to obligation. Everything feels urgent, but nothing feels settled. It is everything everywhere all at once.
Well, now it’s the Lenten Season.
A wonderful season in the life of the church and individual Christians to take time for sacred stillness. Stillness implies stopping or at least pausing for a purpose. But we live at a pace that leaves little room for it.
Lent interrupts that illusion and calls us to be still. But let’s be honest, stillness often makes us uncomfortable by removing our distractions and exposing our insecurities.
Lent does not begin with self-improvement. It begins with honesty. And in our world, honesty is a mercy.
We Need a Reminder
Slowing down to be with God can stir anxiety. When the noise fades, our own thoughts get louder. We begin to feel the weight of what we have avoided.
The prayers we did not pray. The disciplines we did not keep. The habits we cannot seem to break.
Our own thoughts about ourselves chasing us down like we are criminals. If that is not enough, we sometimes have others hinting about our apparent inadequacies.
In that quiet space, we feel the uncomfortable realities and delusions of self. We face the person we think God sees when He looks at us. For many of us, it’s why we delay the quiet.
We assume God is disappointed. We imagine His impatience. We brace for correction.
But Scripture tells a different story. It offers a voice of encouragement.
“For he knows our frame; he remembers we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14)
This verse can awaken us spiritually and help us think properly about our feelings of inadequacy.
God is not shocked by our weakness. He is not surprised by our limitations. God sees and remembers who we are. We are dust, but we are dust remembered by God.
This is where God wants you. Not stronger. Not more polished. Not spiritually impressive. Just honest.
A Holy Struggle
I find that this struggle suits me.
When I feel my need most deeply, I lean into God more fully. When I’m wondering what to do and seeking God for answers, I’m always given insight. When I’m hurting, I’m looking for comfort. When I’m certain my brokenness is getting in God’s way, I seek His forgiveness.
I realize it’s God who is drawing me to Himself through the struggle. The struggle becomes an invitation. The prophet Joel captures that invitation in words that stop us dead in our tracks.
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. (Joel 2:12-13)
After I have pulled all my hair out. When I finally stop having panic attacks. While God is sitting there waiting, He’s been saying the whole time, “Return.”
Yet Even Now
God has given us a sacred invitation. It is an invitation that does not consider all the things we consider.
He simply wants us in His presence now.
For me, “now” conveys both temporal immediacy and spiritual urgency. It is God saying, “Come now as you are and I will tell you exactly what I want you to do.”
Not when you finally get your life together.
Not when you feel worthy.
Not when you conquer every distraction.
Now.
God does not desire to wait for a better version of you. He calls the real you. The distracted you. The weary you. The inconsistent you.
Despite what I believe makes me unworthy and warrants impending judgment, God’s sacred invitation remains open. This highlights the preciousness of the present opportunity for return, restoration, and reconciliation.
Reorienting Our Image of God
Many avoid returning to God because they are afraid of judgment and condemnation.
They see God as a harsh taskmaster tallying their failures.
Joel reminds us that this is a distorted image.
Our motivation for returning to God during Lent should not be fear, but love. We return not because we are terrified, but because He is good.
Joel says, “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.”
Our return is not to a reluctant or angry tyrant. It is to a loving Father who is eager to forgive. God’s character is the basis of our hope. His grace is not something we earn through our perfect repentance.
Rather, His grace is what makes our repentance possible.
Reflect on God’s character.
Read Psalm 103 or Psalm 145.
Make a list of the ways God has shown you grace and compassion in your own life.
Let this overwhelming evidence of His love be the fuel for your journey of return. When we understand the heart of the Father, our Lenten disciplines are no longer burdensome obligations. They become joyful responses to His incredible love.
Lent 2026
What’s your plan for this Lenten season? If you don’t have one, you need one. I encourage you to follow the template God gave Joel.
Return.
Fast.
Weep.
Mourn.
Rend.
This Lenten season, the ancient words of Joel call to us with fresh urgency and hope. This season is not about grand gestures. It is about an honest return. We have a sacred invitation to return in this present moment. An “even now” opportunity we must not ignore.
Use this time to identify where you feel distant from God.
What does that distance look like in your daily life?
Maybe it is the way you reach for your phone in the morning before you even think of prayer. Maybe it is a friendship you have let grow cold. Perhaps it is a quiet anger you have been nursing for weeks.
Write it down.
The first step in returning is to honestly acknowledge where we are. Then, respond to the “even now” by taking one small, concrete step to turn back toward God in that area. Do not wait for a perfect moment or a clear calendar. The invitation is for right now.
Now is always.
Now is enough.
The ashes remind us we are dust.
The gospel reminds us we are loved.
The door is open. Return.
I’ll be sharing weekly Lenten reflections throughout this season. I’ll explore one aspect of returning to God each week.
If you’re walking this journey too, I’d love to hear: What’s one small, concrete step you’re taking today? What’s one area where you feel distant from God right now? Share in the comments below, and let’s support each other in this sacred season.
The door is open. Return. My next sweatshirt will have this on it. Great post..thank you for this reflection🧓
I am SO glad GOD is NOT waiting on a better version of me because that would leave me in charge of myself, which we know is problematic.😂 I’m grateful that all I have to do is “turn myself in” and let Him do what needs to be done. ❤️🙏🏾