When you make a commitment to sacrifice through deep spiritual meaning, it actually becomes easier to attach spiritual meaning to other things.

There are a couple prerequisites to this.

First, you must really attach the spiritual meaning.

For example, let's say that you're sacrifice for Lent is running a mile every day.

If you're not thinking about the deep spiritual reason every time something is telling you you can't do it, you probably are sacrificing deep enough. Let's say you run three miles every day already, but that extra mile is just your extra.

What helps when you have to turn it on for that last mile is saying "I am doing this as a sacrifice so I am going to push through this last mile."

Regardless of what your sacrifice is, it can be something that makes you feel the pain.

Let's say your sacrifice is to not judge others. Your prayer when you start judging someone is "I'm not going to do judge this person because that is my sacrifice to Christ. I'm putting this judgment of someone on the altar for my Savior."

This is a simple process, but it is not easy!

It's so hard to do the things that you want to sacrifice.

But as each sacrifice reminds you of Christ and your deep spiritual meaning, it will help you continue to do it.

Second, you must see how all your choices are either helping you or hindering you from growing closer to Christ.

When you make a decision, think celestial.

Is this a decision that will get me closer to the celestial kingdom? Or is it taking me away from where I want to end up?

With those two prerequisites, you are ready for the fun part:

Sacrifice is contagious.

Once you've sacrificed something, you realize how strong you are through Christ.

No matter your weaknesses, which we all have, you can overcome. In fact, they can even become strengths!

How amazing is that promise?

It's incredible. God loves you so much He is willing to let the things that make you imperfect contribute to making you more perfect.

But wait, there's more! Here's where it gets better.

Want to have joy? Be happy? Feel fulfilled?

​President Nelson said in last October's General Conference: "Come unto Christ and 'offer your whole [soul]' to Him. This is the secret to a life of joy!"

You don't find joy by shying away from sacrifice, but rather by sacrificing everything to Christ, even your whole soul!

This Lent is just a pathway to get there, to offering up your whole soul to Him.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased."

At a big level, the more you sacrifice, the easier it becomes. But at a small level, when you are sacrificing this week, you will find it easier to do other things that you may have been more challenging in the past.

Let's go back to our running example. If you've just pushed yourself hard for a mile with a deep spiritual meaning, and you come back in to the house, the temptation to "relax and doomscroll" will still be there, but because you just made an offering to the Lord, it will be easier to think, "I just ran a mile, surely I can put this social media doomscrolling on the altar, too, and I can fuel my spirit with something better for it."

It's not perfect, and it won't work every single time, but sacrificing in one area easily bleeds over into other areas.

Spice it up

Writings to help you go deeper with the content of those days.

A Catholic friend, upon hearing of this newsletter, offered a suggestion. Each Sunday, his aunt would pass around a hat with slips of papers in them, called "burdens" that people would take and apply for that week.

This could be a fun way to add some additional challenge to your sacrifice, in addition to what you're already doing.

Some ideas:

• no hot water
• no music
• no tv
• no ice in drinks
• no cell phone
• no texting
• must write in cursive
• must eat food 30 minutes after it is prepared

The "fun" part is in the randomness. Let me know how that goes for you.

Daily Journal

​Something you do to recharge your energy ⚘

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