Lent, and Giving Up

Lent is almost upon us.  Even if you are not in a religion that practices Lent, you probably know about it.  It’s that time when fish sandwiches suddenly appear and get promoted on fast food menus.  It’s that time when you are supposed to give up something.

I struggle with Lent.  I usually set myself up for failure by planning on giving up a lot of things, which gradually peeter out, usually within the first week.  I view it as the second chance at New Year’s resolutions (which, by the way, work probably as well as Lenten “give ups”).  Usually, my “giving up” ends with giving up on giving up J

It may help to take a step back and take another look at Lent.  Lent starts 40 days before Easter and is meant to be a time when we focus on the life of Jesus, particularly on His death and resurrection, and to bring home the fact that He did this for me.  The giving up comes in as we try to identify with the suffering of Christ, albeit in a meagre way.

It’s perfectly ok to give up chocolate, and potato chips, and TV for Lent, and good luck to you if you do.  But, if you make it through Lent unscathed, I’ll almost guarantee that a glut of chocolate and chips and TV will result on Easter Monday.  And, you’ll have come through Lent ok, but no closer to God.

I’d like to propose that this year, we all look at our lives and identify things that are keeping us from God. The obvious here is sin, but there may be other things (like social media, for example) that are not sinful, but may lead us down a path away from God.  These are the things, I believe, that we need to target and “give up”.

It’s been said that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit.  Lent has 40.  So, Lent offers us the chance, once a year, if we use it right, to change our lives for the better, and come out of it closer to God. 

Happy Lent.  Can’t wait to see the new you after Easter!