ON BREAD ALONE
“One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Mt. 4:4B
Lent has been filled with failure. We were late getting out of the house on Ash Wednesday and missed the service we planned to attend. We were hit with a costly car repair. Paul fell asleep on the way to his music class. Every step of the way, money and time were wasted or spent unexpectedly. Every good intention seemed for naught. I went to bed feeling discouraged and helpless.
We are trying to keep everything together: laundry folded, lunches packed, the garage organized (ha!), all while managing the schedules, doctors appointments, and activities for our family. There never seems to be enough time, enough money, enough energy to accomplish everything. The false spirit creeps in to tell me (and many of us) that I am not enough. I am not accomplished enough, savvy enough, patient enough, organized enough.
In the desert, the devil offers all the things that Jesus appears to lack after forty days of fasting in solitude. Yet, Jesus remains confident that God will provide for him. Our own fatigue, lack of control, and disappointments can actually be an invitation to place our trust in God. No matter how much we are able to accomplish by our own will, true contentment and peace will only come from resting in the assurance that God is always present in our lives.
What does the voice of the false spirit sound like in my own life – luring me to a false sense of security?
Can Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel become my own response?
Jen Coito