Change Your Perspective

It's interesting how my perspective changes when I understand that whatever God calls me to is in fact for my own best interest. It brings a lot of joy, peace, and willingness to a project when I recognize that it's not about what I feel like doing and it's not about an obligation I'm responsible for. It's really about God's love for me and His invitation to give me more.
Lent can bring a lot of guilt if I build a list in my mind of what I probably ought to do but don't feel like committing to. I'm taking the easy road but there's no joy in it.
Lent can be extremely difficult if I fill it with a lot of sacrifices because "I know I ought to". Why do I think that God somehow benefits from my piddling efforts to avoid this or that? He is complete already; He doesn't need my fasts at all.
Maybe this year I'm finally ready to enter into Lent with a desire to love God more. The sacrifices aren't the minimal I can get away with nor made because I "ought to". Instead I want to become more like Christ. I want to love Him more and let Him mold me into the woman He wants me to become. I am an apprentice and I trust my Master to train me for the trade I'm in. Lent is a yearly opportunity to focus on certain skills I lack and really concentrate on improving them so I can serve the Lord better.
This year I think I need to focus on self-discipline. I need to learn how to say no to a good thing for the sake of a better thing. I need to avoid eating the marshmallow in front of me, knowing that the wait is worthwhile in order to double my reward. I need to become more ambitious for heavenly reward and give in less often to the immediate, momentary, earthly reward.