Throughout the church, many observe Lent, the season of forty days (minus Sundays) prior to Holy Week (the week before Easter Sunday). In tradition, the church follows different seasons like advent (the season before Christmas) or we celebrate Pentecost (when the Holy Spirit was sent to Jesus’ Disciples). Lent is another one of these seasons. It’s not specifically something we see in Scripture, however, there are some biblical reasons behind why many Christians observe Lent.

Often times, especially in the Catholic faith, they practice giving up something for those weeks before Easter. And if you’ve noticed, you know that often some Catholics will even give up meat on certain days during Lent which is why we have all those fish fry dinners this time of year! Now, if you’re like me, that doesn’t excite you. But I know some people who love traveling around to different fish fries this time of year.

But why 40 days? And why give something up? Why do we fast during Lent? And why should I do this if Lent is a man-created religious tradition?

The tradition of Lent actually goes back to around 325 AD, when the church would lead new believers and converts to repent and fast for 40 days prior to their baptism on Easter. They mirrored the example they saw in Jesus Christ, who went into the wilderness to fast for 40 days. However, Jesus’ fast was after His own baptism, but prior to beginning His ministry (Matthew 4:1-11). Lent shifted over and throughout history and in the church into what we know as Lent now, but the significance of the 40 days remains the same. Jesus fasted for 40 days, so we do too.

Ultimately, the reason behind why we fast or give up something for the season of Lent, is because fasting allows us to abandon our own “selves” or desires to God’s will.

As thinking and praying about Lent this year, I was brought to the word “abandon”. One of my favorite worship songs right now is one we sing often around Illuminate, it’s called Abandoned. If you haven’t heard it, go to whatever app you use to listen to music and look it up and listen. The bridge of the song goes like this:

The whole of my heart, the best of my soul
Each phase of my life, each breath in my lungs
Consider it Yours, Lord
Consider it Yours, Lord
The failures I hide, the victories I don't
The battles I fight, each crown that I hoard
Consider it Yours, Lord
Consider it Yours, Lord
(Abandoned by Benjamin William Hastings)

This song often has me thinking about what it truly looks like to live a life that is completely abandoned to God, surrendering all to Him.  It’s easy to sing it. But to live it? To offer every single space of my life to be the Lord’s…easier said than done, right?

The beauty of this season of Lent that starts on March 5th this year is that we get to set aside these 40 days (actually about 46 days, if you count the Sundays). We take this season to reflect on what Jesus Christ did for us when He abandoned His will to the Father’s and gave up His life so that we would inherit eternal life through faith in Him. Jesus gave up much more than food, or social media, or caffeine. He gave up His will (Luke 22:42), His body (Luke 23:33), His blood (John 19:33-34) and even His spirit (Luke 23:46). He surrendered it all on the cross for each one of us.

I cannot fully fathom that kind of love, but I am so thankful that kind of love is offered to me through Christ Jesus. If He abandoned it all for me, as I seek Him, I can also abandon things in my life so that my relationship with God can become deeper, more intimate and more authentic than ever before. The plan since Creation was that God desired a close relationship with His people.  And it is still His desire today.

So in this season of Lent, it’s not a requirement to give up or fast anything, but consider it. Pray. Ask God what is keeping you from living your life fully abandoned and surrendered to Him. Then while we as a community seek the Lord for the next several weeks, may you see your relationship with God grow deeper and more intimate as you surrender more and more to God--seeking His will instead of your own. 

Praying for you and with you,
Jamie Knopf
Worship Pastor