Oh, By the Way…It’s Lenten Season

For those of you who know that word in the title, you can skip past the picture and read on. For those who don’t, let me explain. Lent, is the 40 days prior to Easter where those who feel led will “give up” or “sacrifice” or even “fast” from something of significance in their lives in order to get closer to God. Some give up red meat, some give up caffeine, and I even know one person who chose to give up Facebook for the next forty days (I know it sounds unreasonable, but they did). So that’s what Lent is.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about it. Lent sometimes gets a bad rap because we (as Protestants) don’t usually observe it as strictly as Catholics do. But we could learn a few things from those who do observe this season of introspection, and I would like to suggest a few ways in which this next 40 days (or more accurately, 38 days, by the time this article is published) might be used to do just that…help us look at ourselves and see what it is that God wants us to change.

The first suggestion I would have for you is to choose something to sacrifice over the course of the next month that will really be a sacrifice. For my family to sacrifice broadcast TV for the next month would not be a true sacrifice because we don’t have cable, or an antenna. It would also not be a sacrifice to give up eating healthy, because we’d rather not do that anyway. Think about something that you cherish that would be a true sacrifice to your Lord and Savior over the course of the next month.

Secondly, I would encourage you to make sure your sacrifice is something you can actually do. I would not suggest to anyone to give up eating for the next 40 days, as that would not be a healthy thing for someone to do if they have never fasted before. I would also not suggest someone give up driving a vehicle for Lent unless they work someplace that is only a few miles from their home or less. Make sure your sacrifice is something that you can accomplish.

Finally, I would recommend that do this with your family, or a good friend who can hold you accountable. Pray about who that might be and do your best to be honest with them when they ask you how you’re doing. Having someone to help you through the next forty days will help you be able to maintain your sacrifice.

Have you already decided what you’re giving up for Lent? Let us know in the comment section below, and we’ll be praying for you.

Think about that today! And God bless you!