Meat
Chocolate
Coffee or Caffeine
TV, Video Games, Computer
Sugar or Other Desserts
Soda
Saying Alleluia
These are all things that we hear people talking about "giving up" for Lent. Lent begins this Wednesday - Ash Wednesday - and lasts 40 days (not counting Sundays) until Easter Sunday, April 24. The 40 days recall the 40 day fast of Jesus in the wilderness after his baptism (Matthew 4 and Luke 4). Giving things up on Lent isn't solely to have us suffer like Jesus, but to remove some of our daily distractions so that we can draw closer to Jesus. In a crazy, chaotic, overstimulated world, Lent provides a place of simplicity and solace wherein we can reflect on our baptism, and focus on Jesus teachings and trials right up until he died on the cross for our salvation.
Some might ask, "Why bother to give something up if you're just going to go right back to it on Easter anyways?" Good question! In a culture of instant gratification and over-indulgence, I'm hoping that giving up something that I focus entirely too much of my energy on will help me to either: a.) determine that I don't "need" it at all after Easter, or (more realistically) b.) have that something in my life, but in a more balanced way. In my opinion, there's absolutely no point in giving up something for Lent if you're just going to go back to "life as usual" on the Monday after Easter.
Does a person need to give up something for Lent? No. There is no specific Biblical mention of the custom of Lent. The Bible does, however, have several instances of fasting, repentance, mourning and reflection. I believe observing Lent in this way is a personal, spiritual choice that should be approached in a prayerful way. If you feel led or convicted to abstain from something for Lent, by all means, do it - don't let denomination get in your way! If you don't fell led to give something up, don't. One of the most powerful lessons I've learned recently is that God convicts me in a way that is different than the way He convicts you. Just because I'm giving up something for Lent doesn't make me a better person than a person who doesn't.
The most important thing to remember is that Lent is a journey that leads to Jesus Christ, dying on the cross to save us from our sins. What better way to remember Jesus' journey to the cross than by drawing closer to Him on our own Lenten journey?
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| Click on the picture for a Lent Calendar for your kids! |
We found the same calendar and are starting it tomorrow night! As a family we are all making 2 handprints out of construction paper and writing 1 thing to give up on each hand. I am going to post them as a cross and each of the kids has this chart that you linked there to journey with. I also found great feltboard pieces to do the Easter Story with them throughout the time, so they can tell it to Daddy when we get it down :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful thought you put into that. I say, "AMEN"! Proud of you.
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