Lent has arrived! During this season of forty days leading up to Easter, Christians traditionally would abstain from meat and alcohol. This recalls the forty days and nights Jesus fasted during his temptation by the devil (Matthew 4:1-3) and in the early church was seen as critical to Christian faith. The 4th century church father Athanasius once claimed that Lent was observed by the entire world at the time!
In modern times, the practice of Lent has grown less common. This makes sense in a society that increasingly values materialism and following one’s own desires. Abstinence and self-denial have no place in such a worldview. Even among Christians who observe Lent, we often reduce it from its original form to simply giving up a single thing we are attached to, such as coffee or fast food. That’s not to diminish such sacrifices; many of us struggle without our morning coffee! But it does make you wonder…
When we deny ourselves, we are making our statement that the worldly things that we enjoy are not truly what we value most; God is far greater. We are living out Jesus’ response to the devil in Matthew 4: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” This Lent is an appropriate time to consider: are we just giving God what costs us nothing (2 Samuel 24:24)? What are we willing to sacrifice to tell God He is truly Lord of our lives?
Have a blessed Lent!
James