Throughout my adult life I’ve considered Holy Week to be my favorite week of the year. Christmas was tops as a kid. Food, fun, presents. But, worldly distractions stole the delight the older I got. Plus, the more I pondered the meaning of Christmas, the more the Spirit used it to point my eyes where Christmas was leading … to the cross. In the week before Easter, we can practice proper prioritization by giving Jesus a bold THUMBS UP! He deserves our full attention, worship and praise ALL the time, but that’s beyond the reach of our sinful hearts. Yet, for this one week, we can make a special effort to give Him His proper place as THE most important thing in our life. Here are some ideas to consider for Holy Week as you seek to give Jesus a proper THUMBS UP …
Photo by Amboo Who?
… sit quietly in meditation on the words of the Passion account in Scripture.
… pray for an extra 30 minutes each day; leaving everything in His hands.
… discuss the significance of Holy Week with your spouse.
… use “Resurrection Eggs” or other ideas to focus your children on Jesus this week.
… give up your favorite foods and eat as little as possible so your eyes can be on Jesus rather than your food.
… attend every opportunity for worship this week as a family, arriving early and not rushing out, so you can show Jesus He doesn’t just get the leftovers in your life.
… do something as a family to serve the needy; loving one another as Jesus first loved us.
… sit in silent solitude for at least 30 minutes straight on Good Friday to reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for you.
… celebrate the Resurrection on Easter Sunday by joining with as many fellow believers as you can to sing as loudly as you can, not caring what anyone might think of your singing (Jesus will love it!).
… eat some great food on Easter without any guilt as a foretaste of the feast to come in the presence of our Risen King!
… make a plan on how you can keep Easter alive in your heart all year long, esp. setting aside every Sunday as a “little Easter.”
… invite everyone you meet to join you in giving a bold THUMBS UP to JESUS so they can receive the proper perspective on life and share in the JOY of EASTER FOREVER!