I’m naturally attracted to things like Lent. I like things that have history and meaning, especially those rooted in Christian traditions. Lent traditions, like prayer, fasting, and giving, are designed to help us prepare spiritually for Easter. That's why I believe Lent could be the best thing you do this month.
What is Lent?
To put it simply, Lent is a time for Christians to prepare for Easter by focusing on prayer, repentance, generosity, self-control, self-denial, and doing good.
Lent is a significant part of the Christian calendar that prepares believers all over the world for the celebration of Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This 40-day season culminates on Holy Thursday, the day before Easter Sunday.
Key Dates of Lent
Lent is marked by several key dates, including:
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Ash Wednesday: The first day of Lent, where many Christians mark themselves with ashes on their foreheads as a sign of repentance.
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Palm Sunday: The Sunday before Easter, which reminds us of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
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Holy Week: The week leading up to Easter, which includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
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Good Friday: The day of Jesus’ crucifixion, observed as a day of fasting and prayer.
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Holy Saturday: The day before Easter Sunday, observed as a day of quiet reflection and preparation for the Easter celebration.
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Easter Sunday: The day of Jesus’ resurrection, celebrated as a day of joy and triumph.
Lent Leads to Easter Sunday
Lent prepares you for something, check. But for what? The best hint is in the beginning and end of Lent. It starts on Ash Wednesday, a day to remind us of our human shortcomings and need for a Savior.
Then, it ends the day before the Easter holiday, when we celebrate the day Jesus came back to life after giving up His life for us.
This season actually began as a way to prepare for baptism, which is how we make our faith public. So, Lent prepares Jesus followers to come to terms with their human weakness and publicly declare Christ’s perfect salvation. That seems like a really great way to spend the next 40 days of Lent.
We Prepare Through Prayer
Prayer is one of the greatest connections between people and God. It's often how we move His heart and how He moves ours.
Remember how Lent is like a connection between our flawed humanity and Christ's perfect salvation? What better to do during Lent than pray? It's the link between God and people.
If you celebrate Lent with me, I challenge you to ask God to give you a theme for your prayers these next 40 days. Maybe your marriage, or your neighbors who don't know Jesus, or for a certain issue you're passionate about.
Lent Involves Repentance
Today, we practice repentance by recognizing the ways we're living outside of God's best for us, admitting it to God and others, then doing what we need to do to live right.
Reading the Bible, spending time in prayer with God, talking with good people, and attending church all help us figure out what God's best is.
Living Generously During Lent
Generosity is about sharing with people who have less of something than we do. Less money, less food, less house, less opportunity, less freedom, etc.
I think one reason Jesus wants us to do this is because we’ll find out we have less of something, too. Atonement is basically the whole message of the Bible. It’s what’s necessary for closeness with God.
As humans, we try to do things without God or outside of Him. That’s sin. Throughout history, He’s been providing us a road back. In the Old Testament, it was sacrifice. Today, atonement is fully accomplished through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus paved the way to God once and for all. That’s our focus in Lent, walking the road to God, Jesus, and atonement. Good stuff.
Observing Lent Through Self-Denial and Self-Discipline
Lent is about understanding our brokenness and declaring our dependence on Jesus’ perfect salvation. It’s also 40 weekdays. Why? Because Jesus fasted 40 days in the desert.
Kids used to always give up candy while adults would give up something like alcohol. Hence the spike in candy and alcohol sales on Easter. But, if Lent’s about becoming like Christ, then self-denial should accomplish that too.
Give something up that will actually help you to look more like Jesus.
So, give something up that will actually help you to look more like Jesus. Maybe give up Netflix to find out you binge-watch too much. You may turn it back on, but you’ll watch fewer hours and less junk. Or give up overeating, getting drunk, looking at porn, sleeping around, defending your ego, or gossiping, but don’t restart after 40 days. Get help, and quit. Maybe you need to give up trying to work your way to God’s approval.
Do Lent, but make it about becoming more like Jesus, not just observing a fast motivated by rules.
What is Lent? It should be the best thing you do this month. It’s a season to refocus your life through your actions on who Jesus is and why you need Him. It’s a return back to the wonderful road Jesus paved for you. Will you celebrate that with me?