An important season in the life of a Christian has just begun. It is not a season related to weather but rather a time of reflection as a follower of Jesus. It is the season of Lent.
The Season of Lent
There are two major seasons of importance in the life of a Christian. One is Advent, the time leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. And we have entered the other season, Lent, the 40 days (excluding Sundays) prior to Easter Sunday. Lent is a time of self-examination and introspection of our spiritual lives and a time of repentance to prepare for Easter. These are, of course, things that should mark believers' lives throughout the year, but Lent is a time in which we give particular focus to this aspect of life.
Giving Something Up
One practice that is commonly associated with Lent is fasting. Again, this is a spiritual discipline that should be a part of our lives all year long but is often neglected. Many people will fast during Lent, even if they do not fast the rest of the year. Often this is not a traditional fast, in which one will abstain from food for a period of time, but it takes the form of "fasting something" during the 40 days of Lent. People often speak of what they are "giving up" for Lent. The idea is that they will deny themselves (fast) something that is of value to them during the whole of the Lenten season. It may be chocolate, sweets, television, social media, coffee, or any number of other things. The thought is for this sacrifice to be offered as a means of seeking God more diligently. Every time one doesn't eat sweets or drink coffee, or whatever the "fast" maybe, it is a reminder that the purpose of their abstaining is to seek God.
Subtracting and Adding
This is certainly a worthwhile thing to do and done well. It can surely be beneficial. I am not sure that is lived out as much as is conceived of in theory, but anything we do to strengthen our relationship with God or develop our spiritual lives is a good thing. I want to suggest an alternative practice for Lent, or better still, an additional, complementary practice for Lent. Instead of focusing so much on subtracting something from our lives, perhaps we should focus on adding something to our lives during Lent. If we subtract chocolate from our lives, it may be a genuine sacrifice, but it will actually have limited value for our lives if we don't eat chocolate. Suppose that every time we had thought of chocolate, we prayed for one minute for the spread of the Gospel in some nation of the world? We would not simply be subtracting the ingesting of chocolate from our lives, but we would be adding intercession to our lives. I believe the far more significant action is what was added rather than what was subtracted.
Giving Back to God
Fasting is an extremely important spiritual discipline. I want to encourage everyone to fast, and not just during Lent. It is important and helpful for many reasons. It has been a regular practice in my life for over 40 years, which is the vast majority of my Christian life. I do not want to discourage fasting of any type. However, I suggest that we consider what we might add to our lives this Lent, not simply what we may subtract. As we have considered what we will give up for God, let us also consider what we will give to God.
As Lent commences on Ash Wednesday, we are entering a time of introspection and prayer leading to Easter. Let us reflect on the significance of death preceding resurrection, urging readers to embrace a daily practice of surrendering self in preparation for our spiritual transformation.