Written by Dr. Veronica Johnson, February 12, 2026
This coming Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. Lent is a season of the church calendar preparing us for Easter by remembering the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness. Interestingly enough, the Gospel of Matthew tells us, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted.” (Matthew 4:1) Why would the Spirit lead Jesus toward temptation?
I do not come from a faith tradition that celebrated Lent, but I can see great value in the practices of lent. Did you happen to see the ad put out by HeGetsUs.com about wanting more? It’s pretty powerful. In one way, I connect to it because I want more in life. I will always want more pastries, more time, more interaction, more respect, more comedy…but I also know it will never be enough.
Making Space
When I intentionally stop looking for more, there is space. But unlike that advertisement, it is a painful space for me. It is a hungry, unproductive, lonely, disappointing space – there is emptiness in that space. Of course I want more: I want to cover up the space, pretend I can control it, or get others to make it better for me. Time in the wilderness (without all the more) is inherently tempting. I am tempted to indulge in sweets, or watch stand-up comedy, or get some more work done. I’m tempted to fill this real, but empty, space with something…but I also know it will never be enough.
Much of mental health therapy is stopping clients from reaching for more. We help clients face the real but empty space in their lives. Sometimes that means stopping an addiction (can anyone say “doomscrolling?”); sometimes it means pausing on a major life decision (e.g. a divorce or an affair); sometimes it means approaching fears instead of avoiding them. Good therapy leads us into the empty space, the wilderness. Christian therapy reminds clients God in that space and ultimately, He is enough.
God is Enough
In the wilderness, Jesus faced hunger, loneliness, and probably futility. The devil tempts Jesus with ways to fill all that space – make yourself some bread, get angels to tend to you, take all these kingdoms as your own. And Jesus says, “No.” None of that would ever be enough. Only after denying himself, after staying in the emptiness, did the angels attend him.
In the wilderness, Jesus faced hunger, loneliness, and probably futility. The devil tempts Jesus with ways to fill all that space – make yourself some bread (I think Jesus liked pastries too), get angels to tend to you, take all these kingdoms as your own. And Jesus says, “No.” None of that would ever be enough. Only after denying himself, after staying in the emptiness, did the angels attend him.
Choosing God may not feel fulfilling, but He offers fulfillment. God may not show up whenever we want, but He is with us always.
Isaiah 43:1-3ish & 18-19
1 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3ish For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior… 18Forget the former things; Do not dwell on the past. 19See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Call me if you’d like to have me speak at your event about these kind of things!