Subtracting and Adding
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘People shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” - Matthew 4:3
There are two types of spiritual practices: negation and addition. Sometimes we negate things - we subtract things from our lives. Sometimes we add things to our lives. In the verse above we see that Jesus is practicing a negation: he’s fasting 40 days from food. But the key is that he’s replacing the practice of eating with a specific addition: listening for the voice of God.
This is still the first week of Lent. As you enter this season of seeking, journeying towards Easter, perhaps you might consider subtracting some practices from your life and adding some practices in their place. We don’t do this because things like food or entertainment are evil - they are not. We do this for a season in order to create space for us to feel our longings, to connect with our needs, and to make some additional space to add in the kinds of practices that will nourish us.
So here are the two big questions:
What do you need for your journey?
What needs to be left behind?
None of these are required. None prove your worth to God. None make you better than others. These exercises are simply meant as possible invitations into a season of deeper seeking. So consider if one of these might be a fit for you this season (or let the examples inspire you to come up with your own subtraction and addition).
Setting aside a meal or a type of food (like alcohol or sweets) - not because they are bad, but to sharpen focus (and sometimes to regain balance). Consider memorizing a bible verse to say to yourself when you hunger for that food.
Giving up an action - like sarcasm or self-criticism - and potentially replacing it with an action that you think might help you develop in healthier ways, like gratitude (for example, start keeping a gratitude journal or sharing toasts at dinner or saying 3 gratitudes at bedtime)
Freeing up time - like giving up TV or putting your phone down at 8pm - to create space for other things in your life like spiritual reading (for example, devotionals like CCLB or Sanctified Art or Richard Rohr).
Setting aside an evening to start listening for God in community. A practical example would be a small group, but there are plenty of other ways to listen in community