Spring has finally sprung and I’m glad! While March can be a mixed bag of weather, April represents a turning point. April seems fresh and new. Warmer weather means walks in the park, visits to McCormick's Creek, reading on the deck, and, hopefully, warm evenings and mornings to gaze at the stars.

Easter comes at just the right time. At the end of Lent, after we've taken time in self-denial, reflection, and repentance, we turn our attention to Resurrection! New life! We celebrate that Jesus was dead, evil forces coming against him, but he came back to life!

How can we connect with this wonderful event? How can we live an Easter Life?

Jesus offers us abundant life and also a resurrected life. Paul writes that we were dead through our trespasses and sins, but God has made us alive through the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Eph 2).

This resurrection power is available to us each and every day. Yet, I find that many times, we don't live the Easter Life. Instead, we live like those around us; getting up, going to work, coming home, spending time in diversions and distractions.

How can we live by the "power of the resurrection"? The simple answer is by being centered in Jesus. That's easier said than done. So, how can we do it? By intention.

"Intention" has become one of my favorite words. Nobody lives by Jesus' power by accident. We live by the power of the resurrection intentionally. This intention happens each day that we carve time out in order to pray, read scripture, and talk with others who can encourage and help us remain centered in Jesus.

The world continues to pull us into distractions and diversions. When we live there, we operate in our own, limited power, knowledge, and ability. If we don't choose to live differently, we will fall into the habits and practices of our culture. Choosing to intentionally find ways to deepen our faith opens us up to the possibilities Jesus brings and living an Easter Life.

What does an Easter Life look like? 

This is only a partial list, but we discover daily that God loves us. As we follow Jesus, we begin to realize that he loves us more than we even love ourselves. Even in difficult times, we begin to get a sense that he takes us to places of blessing even though, at first, those places might not seem to be all that blessed. As we take time to be centered in him, through prayer, scripture, and time with others, we continue growing in God’s love and our desire to share God’s love with others increases. Over time, our relationship deepens to the point to where we don’t fear even bad news because of our deep trust in God (see Psalm 112:7). Joy increases. Peace passes understanding. Love flows from our life.

What will it take for you to live an Easter Life? What does living intentionally look like for you?

Peace, David