As we begin our series on Lent, we read the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. During this time, Jesus is tested and tempted by Satan, and he relies on Scripture and his trust in God the Father to care for him. We learn from the temptation of Jesus that there is nothing (no item or idea) that is worth obtaining if we must give up who God has created us to be. Jesus refuses to sacrifice his calling from God for physical comfort, power, or security and safety. Instead, Jesus models sacrifice. As we prepare for Easter over the course of these next weeks, we participate in the sacrificial model that Jesus exemplified and modeled. Every good gift comes with a cost, and as we prepare to celebrate the resurrection and the promise of God’s victory over sin and death as the gift that it is to all of us, we ask ourselves what is it that we are willing to give up as we follow the example of Jesus in our everyday lives.