As the seasonal calendar heads toward Spring and Easter, Christians around the world enter a season of observing Lent. But what is it, why is it important, and how does one go about observing Lent?
Generally, the season of Lent is the 40 days (46 if you count Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to Easter. It’s a time to remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to save the world from their sins. It’s a season of penitence or repentance of our sins and reflection on the suffering and sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus. It’s not a Biblical command or tradition but a season that evolved as the early church progressed. Many simply think of it as a time to focus on Jesus’ sacrifice given and salvation gained on the cross.
To that end, various Lenten practices have grown customary over the years in Christian’s lives. Many ‘give up’ something but recently, another way of observing Lent has also developed. Let’s review them both…
Sacrificing or ‘Giving Up’ Something
I’ve done this since I was a child. One year, I gave up my favorite yellow sunglasses for Lent. I was very young and may not have fully understood the practice, but understood that I loved Jesus more than my sunglasses, so I gave them up! Choosing to give up something reminds us of what Jesus did by sacrificing His life, so we sacrifice something important to us. The idea is that when we want that thing we’ve ‘given up’, we instead focus on Jesus and what He sacrificed for us. That’s always how I thought of it, (even when I gave up my yellow sunglasses). It brings my mind back to Jesus more often throughout the day, and for me, that’s the point.
Fasting is a similar concept, used to help us reflect more on God than our physical selves. This is often done on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, or each Friday (which is why some give up meat on Fridays, especially during Lent). I’ve done this more recently on Ash Wednesday and/or Good Friday and it’s been very impactful. However, I do feel it needs to be done in accordance with your own personal physical condition and for the right reason-which is to bring our focus back to Jesus and His sacrifice.
‘Taking Up’ or Doing Something New
A more recent practice is ‘taking up’ something new. Instead of ‘giving up’ something, we DO something…akin to Jesus’ call to take up our crosses daily and follow Him. I’ve tried this too, and found it helpful to bring me closer to Jesus and others. It reminds us to look beyond ourselves and our selfish desires and instead focus on the joy, peace, and serenity that is ours due to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We practice this by doing what Jesus calls us to with examples such as…
- Do something kind and helpful for others (another way to give of our time and talents).
- Read the Bible (or add a Lenten Bible plan or devotion)
- Attend a Lenten worship service
- Read/Listen to a Lenten sermon or Bible study
- Share your faith and the Good News and/or why you are observing Lent with friends and family
No matter how we do it, observing Lent as a Christian brings our focus back to Jesus and His sacrifice more often, which is the point and a good thing. If you are seeking a closer relationship with God, try observing Lent with one of these practices. If it’s anything like my experience, it will strengthen your faith and reflect Him to others through you.