A lot of people have misunderstandings about Lent. For instance, I once had someone say "Uh, your Catholic's shining through..." when I said that I put a lot of value in Lent (and let me tell you, they were judging pretty strongly). While I did grow up Catholic, that's the first big misunderstanding about Lent: that only Catholics give something up or fast on Ash Wednesday. Ironically, I actually learned to fast on Ash Wednesday from my Methodist family and church. Many other Christians tell me they don't give things up for Lent and they seem to think it's only Catholics that do so. That's just...not true. You don't have to give up anything for Lent but fasting from certain worldly things is a great way to bring yourself closer to God. That's just a Biblical fact. Lent is built from Jesus fasting in the desert and from the spiritual discipline of fasting. Jesus and disciplines - something all Christians have in common.
I think that one of the biggest misconceptions about Lent is giving something up. Lent doesn't necessarily require giving something up and fasting from something in the traditional sense. I always thought it was like that - that you had to give up chocolate or social media. Growing up, I also didn't understand the why of the process of Lent. Sure, I knew about Jesus spending 40 nights in the desert where he prayed and fasted, but I didn't understand how that translated into me giving up candy bars for about a month. Growing up and becoming a Christian who learns about her faith has taught me so much about the different ways of seeking God. I realized that the purpose of the tradition is to find ways to seek God through how we live our lives. For some that means giving up something, fasting from something you feel is keeping you from God. If you value something so deeply that you feel you can't live without it, that's a separation that keeps you from God. The only thing we cannot live fully as without as Christians is Him.
We are often so weak in our disciplines and stray from God and certain spiritual disciplines during the year. Lent is a time when we strengthen our relationships with God in a way that should carry on throughout the year. Giving up chocolate or soda can be nice, but you should also consider if it is something you covet so deeply it is valued above God in your life. If not, is it really going to help you in the discipline of fasting during the Lenten season? Consider adding something purposeful into your life or fasting from something you feel you are truly focusing on too deeply.
Like I was saying, you don't have to actually give something up to practice the principle of this tradition. You can also add something into your life that you feel will strengthen that relationship with Him. To actively seek God, we can learn to practice disciplines during Lent. A lot of times, the things you fast from or add on to life are things you want to carry on after Easter. For instance, this Lenten season I am considering adding on more intentional Bible reading, more prayer, or more worship. These are all disciplines that I falter on in my daily life that I am hoping to strengthen in the Lenten season.
