[Jesus said,] "All who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." (John 3:20-21 NRSV)
Lent is a time for self-examination and honest self-evaluation.... The ancient fathers spoke of "besetting sins," taking their terminology from Hebrews 12:1, which speaks of "laying aside the sins which ... beset us" (KJV) (literally, "the sins that stick to us like clothing"). By these they meant those traits within an individual's personality or those habits which were the weak spot in a person's spiritual life.... Each person [has] his or her weak point, the point where each [is] most vulnerable to spiritual attack by evil....
Picture Christ with a searchlight, turning it on your life and lighting up the corners of darkness where the "snakes and toads and monsters" are lurking. Let the light shine. It will burn away the darkness and whatever lives in it.
Remember that the light of Christ can never hurt you. It can only destroy what is harmful in you. It may feel painful if you have become deeply attached to your besetting sins, but it will be the pain that a surgeon causes while performing a lifesaving operation.
-- Larry R. Kalajainen in “A Lenten Journey”
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