Lent - A Season of Sacrifice

Happy Ash Wednesday! Today marks the first day of the season of preparation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. While Ash Wednesday and Lent (the forty days of sacrifice proceeding Easter) are typically thought of as a Catholic tradition, my hubby and I heard a fabulous sermon a few years ago on the importance of acknowledging the Lent season as followers of Christ, Catholic or not. Our pastor's take on recognizing the season was not based in rituals or in doing an act to receive favor from God, but simply in intentionally foregoing something you enjoy for three reasons:

• to mimic, on a very small scale, the way Jesus felt when He fasted and was tempted in the desert for forty days
• when we sacrifice something we enjoy, our minds will naturally dwell on that thing we are missing. We should intentionally turn our minds to Jesus when we think about that sacrifice, thereby strengthening the discipline of leaning on Him.
• to love Jesus by showing that you are willing to give up something you truly enjoy in order to grow your relationship with Him

Participating in Lent should not be done in a way to please God, but with the desire to show God your love for Him. As we have discussed us loving our husbands and God loving us in this week leading up to Valentine's Day, I also wanted to take the time to discuss our decision to love God.

Do you still love God even if you don't participate in Lent? Of course! We are not saved and in relationship with Him by works, but only by grace. But, have I seen the fruits of a season of sacrifice in years past? Absolutely. Two years ago, I fasted coffee for forty days. Last year, I fasted gluten (a.k.a. wheat). Both fasts were challenging for me, and both fasts drew me into a deeper relationship with my Savior. For you, coffee and/or bread may not be that important to you. Find something that doing without would cause daily decision and commitment. Maybe it's TV, maybe it's Facebook, maybe it's cleaning the house (just kidding!). It will be worth your efforts!

If your children are old enough, I think Lent participation is a beautiful way to start teaching sacrifice. As Christians, we are called to use our bodies as a living sacrifice to Him. We are asked to say, "God, do with my heart, mind, and body what you see is best." That's a tough concept for a child to grasp, but starting with the baby step of Lent is a great tool to use. Maybe they can put a certain favorite toy away for this season. Maybe your child can fast dessert for forty days. Maybe your pre-teen son can fast video games in order to spend time reading his Bible. There are tons of things that we can fast in our life, and I imagine this would be a fantastic conversation around the dinner table tonight.

I should have written this yesterday, but it got away from me :-) If your fast starts tomorrow, don't sweat it. God is a god of grace! As for what I will be fasting this year? I honestly don't know yet. Lent snuck up on me, and I am making it a point to pray about it throughout the day today, and to let God speak to my heart. I'll let you know tomorrow :-)

Today and everyday, be blessed!

I completed another project! Check out Pinterest Project #3.