I recently read a definition of Lent I thought would be helpful as we get ready to enter into this special time of the church year.
The definition went as followed: “Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days.”
Lent is always one of my most favorite seasons of the Church year because of exactly what this definition outlines. Lent is a “season of soul-searching.” It is our chance to be intentional for forty days (plus Sundays) to reflect and take stock of our relationship with God and our Savior Jesus. It is our chance to prepare ourselves for the ministry we are being called to fulfill throughout the rest of the year, by withdrawing from the rest of the world, and being intentional to draw closer to God and Christ through worship, prayer, meditation, fasting, communion, and service.
Ok, those are the text book/preacher things I am supposed to say.
And while all that is true and faithful, the bottom line is Lent is a time that should get us excited because we can use it to not only prepare ourselves for Easter, but also transform us into the Disciples we have always wanted to be.
This will require, however, true, faithful, and intentional focus of what this season is all about, which can be exceedingly hard.
And I wonder that because it is exceedingly hard that too often we choose to avoid Lent or fail to get excited about Lent because it is perceived to be a time of dimness that requires a “long hard journey” filled with having to “give-up” and go without our favorite sinful vice. No chocolate, not potato chips, no double mocha caramel lattes.
And honestly, when I was observing Lent in such a way I wanted to avoid it too. Not once during the Lenten seasons when I gave up my favorite salty snack did I grow closer to God. Instead it simply became a countdown to when I could dive into a bad of Wavy Lays. But would you believe I didn’t draw closer to Christ through this “sacrifice”, and when the countdown was over I discovered God was not in the Wavy Lays!
Now if this spiritual practice works for you, then great. By all means do it. After all, the best spiritual practice to draw closer to God is the one that you will do and actually draws you closer to God.
But if you’re like me, then what if, instead of trying to avoid Lent, we go all in and embrace Lent? What if we go all in on Lent by not “giving up something” but rather we “take-up something”?
We could go all in on Lent by making the intentional effort to follow a daily Lenten devotional—pausing just long enough to let God into some time and space we don’t normally use for God.
Or maybe we write out a daily prayer or hand copy sections of scripture, or even look into what it means to fast for a day.
We could “take-up” a cause by volunteering for a day or afternoon, or by doing something that will benefit others.
We could take a day, or maybe just a few hours, and be in silence—no phone, no social media, no podcasts, no television—just silence, scripture, and some soul-searching.
There are countless ways we can intentionally create opportunities—even if they are just brief ones—each day—to withdrawal from normal everyday life, and do some soul-searching as we draw closer to God.
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Too often we choose to avoid Lent and Holy Week because it isn’t a happy and uplifting time. But an intentional Lenten journey can help us change this mindset because Lent can help us look at the unhappy and downtrodden parts of life with a new perspective.
Lent can help us see that with God, with grace and forgiveness, with the transforming power that comes to us through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ we can become a people who see the world in a new way, as God sees it—a world that is worthy of saving, a world worthy of grace and peace, a world worthy of redemption.
So I hope and pray you will be intentional in this season of soul-searching and repentance. I hope and pray you will reflect and take stock of your walk with Christ. And I hope and pray you will let God, through Jesus, transform the dimness of this season into a bright and shining beacon of hope, grace, peace, love, and redemption.
May we have a blessed Lenten journey together. Amen.
Prayer:
God of new life, as we set ourselves to begin the season of Lent, help us focus on what this time is all about, and what it is intended for us to do—for us to turn away from that which separates us from you, and turn back to you and your ways.
Remind us of the wilderness Jesus himself went into, where he was tempted to turn away from you. Remind us how he refused to give in, and remained faithful to you alone.
We are far from perfect like Jesus, but the season of Lent implores us to walk in his ways, to face that which seeks to steal us away from you, and take back control through our commitment to draw closer to you.
We know how to do this. We need only to put on Jesus, walk in his ways, and emulate the sacrificial love he has given to us. So may that be what you help us do—put on Jesus, doing so first and foremost through our love.
We pray all this in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.