Lent is simply the 40 day period before Easter, excluding Sundays. "Lent" is the Old English word for spring (yay!). Contrary to popular opinion, Lent is not a Catholic word for "hotbed of Protestant controversy" or "self-flagellation and forced repentance in order to earn righteousness."
If you celebrate Advent in preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, consider participating in this season set aside for somber consideration of the death and, ultimately, resurrection of Jesus.
Church seasons aren't designed to make us feel inadequate or forced into practice. Rather, they help us rest, worship, and reset out priorities.
Lenten fasting, then, is not a masochistic way for us to pretend that we're suffereing like Christ suffered on the cross. But it can re-orient our hearts toward Jesus. I was so tempted to give up something that would benefit me physically, like banning sugar. But for me, that sounded more like a diet than a fast. In the end, I had to ask myself: What do I turn to instead of God? What do I lean on in difficult times? What do I spend my free time thinking about?
When I wake up, do I open my laptop first, or my Bible? When I'm so tired and filled with worry, do I pour out my heart to the One who knows my innermost being, or do I try to fill the hole in my heart by filling my stomach with sweet treats? Perhaps, without these crutches, I will learn to lean on God more. I will turn to Him first.
My Lenten fast won't make me holier, but it will point me to the cross. My small sacrifice will whisper of a much larger sacrifice and a saving grace that I could never earn. And when and if I mess up, I can rejoice in the fact that I could not earn my salvation even if I had perfect willpower. The work is already done and there's nothing I can do to deserve that. That's why we celebrate Easter!
Giving something up in and of itself can't bridge the gap between you and God, but it can help us cast down our idols. Are you giving anything up this Lent?
I always thought Lent came from the latin word lente meaning "slowly"... :)
ReplyDeleteEvan and I like the idea of religious fasting and our church did it several times while going through our transition of closing and merging with another church. It was hard but it definetly changed (atleast for me) the way we prayed.
ReplyDeleteWhen you think of that thing you've given up, go to prayer. When you find yourself struggling with it, go to prayer. When you even think about it, go to prayer. It's amazing how easy you can find things to discuss or bring to light when you are seemingly in continuous prayer.
Hey Bobby I like your comment ! Lent is a time for "slowly" turning our hearts towards God !
ReplyDeleteWe give God 40 days (Check out the significance of 40 numerous times in the Bible) out of the
365 days he gives us.
Here is one person's resolution that works: "Whenever I want to think of myself, I will think of God."
As in ...."I am hungry..." I am lonely..." "I am hurt..." when was Jesus hungry, lonely or hurt by us?
We pray to resist temptation to sin, to not give in to whatever distracts us from having a relationship with God.
By "dying" to our own personal sins during Lent we are better prepared to celebrate Christ's death for our sins
on Easter Sunday.
For Lent, I am you g to practice trust. Trust in the right outcome happening without my interference, gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair and clothes. Oh so much easier said than done. Thank you for your beautiful post. It as always has spoken to my heart.
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