The thing about lent (Why i practice lent)

Yesterday morning i thought it would it be a good idea to give up snacks for lent... last night my thoughts were: Lent is stupid. i want a snack!

And tonight again as i sit here wanting a swiss cake roll, i think again.
I mean why practice lent?
I don't have to.
.. And it's hard.
... And it doesn't seem to be working for the purpose i'm doing it anyway
So maybe i should just quit.

Back in the day, i would laugh at my friends for having to practice lent. But, a few years ago I decided I would practice the discipline. Until this year, i didn't really know when it ended, since i thought it was 40 days, but i guess Sunday's don't count? that still doesn't make sense to me... and i may not do it every year... but i still think the discipline could  be very healthy.

Now, i know there are some out there who say we shouldn't practice lent. That it is a bad thing.
i suppose for some, it could be bad.
i doubt there are many or any who believe practicing lent will save them. However, there may be many who think practicing lent will make God love them more  or give them higher standing with God.
In those cases, lent is not a good practice.
Or perhaps there are some who believe they should suffer, that as follower of Christ, we shouldn't enjoy things in this world. And that would be wrong too.
Or that we must do it to be a good christian.

The Bible warns against asceticism and even gives warnings about traditions (Colossians 2). Practicing these things isn't just a bad idea, it disqualifies you as you rely on yourself rather than the work of Christ.

I say I don't have to practice lent because Christ has paid for everything.  Since my identity is in Christ,  I am completely accepted and forgiven. I have the righteousness of Christ.
The Gospel frees me from restrictions, from guilt, from shame.
The work of Christ is complete. i don't have to give something up for God to love me or to be right with God. i am already.

So if i don't have to do it- i am under no obligation to do it- why do it?
Because i want to.

What? you want to deny yourself something you enjoy? you want to do something that is difficult?

Let's get this straight. i am not doing something that is difficult for difficulty's sake. That is asceticism. i am not trying to make my life more difficult. In fact, i am trying to do something good for my life. i am trying to create a pathway to make my walk with God less complicated.

Now some may say you shouldn't just give up sweets, you are supposed to give up your whole life to God.
Yes! of course. I first must give over my entire life, my entire heart to God. But that is not what this is about.

The thing is, just saying give up your entire life to God is very easy to say, and it some ways it means nothing at all. And so we need to practice this. We need to give over every area of our life to God. It is His.
We do that not by words only, but in practice & discipline.

Practicing Lent is practicing a discipline - a discipline of desire.
See it's not about giving up something, but gaining something.
i want to see Jesus more clearly, i want to be more focused on Him.
i want to experience Him more.
And i experience Him more as i turn to Him more and depend on Him more.


We don't like fasting because we think only of what we give up, when instead we should focus on what we gain.
Fasting is a good practice because it allows us to feast on God.
And when i fast from something, it reveals how much i depend on things besides God.

Right now i am struggling because i like to eat sweets when i am stressed. (After all, stressed backwards is desserts). But instead of eating a swiss cake roll, i have to turn to Jesus. Instead of eating away my sorrow, i give my sorrow to God and allow Him to turn it into joy.
Not only that, i have become used to eating. i want to develop holy habits of turning to God. i want to become used to looking to God.
And i look to it to give me a boost of energy, instead of relying on God to carry me thru.
It is crazy to think how dependent i have become on food. It is amazing how much i run to it for comfort. It is amazing how much i rely on it.

Giving something up, reveals my tendency to run to idols. (i thought perhaps we should give up showering, so we would understand how much we reek of sin- but if we practice rightly we should see it anyway).

And giving something up, allows me to run to God instead.
instead of reading facebook status over and over- i'll read the Word
instead of wasting time on tv, i can invest in savoring time with Jesus.
instead of living on bread and dessert, i live on the word that proceeds from the mouth of God.


But then there is that. Practicing lent is supposed to turn me toward Jesus, but all i can think about is the thing i am giving up. All i can think about is pop or chocolate or what i am missing out on.
So if it isn't working i should just give up.
But this is why we do it for forty days. It may not happen at first, or maybe at first it does and later days it doesn't. The point is the discipline, disciplines my heart. It serves to reveal the sinful tendency of my heart and provide a platform for change

i recommend fasting. Maybe it's not during lent, maybe it's not for 40 days. But consider a fast, consider a food fast - that you may grow your hunger for God (And read the book "Hunger for God" by John Piper while you're at it).

Lent isn't magical. Lent isn't obligation.
But the next 6 weeks or so, we can join with others in fasting to feast on God, to enjoy Him, to know Him more. It has only been one day and i already see God working in my heart.

the one with a "Water" fast

I am going to give you a challenge... a challenge to give... and a challenge to grow... a challenge to faith...


The Lord has been putting a lot of impressions on me recently... a lot to do with giving and money and the poor... and steps of faith and growth... and instead of simply restricting myself, seeking more ways to give...

Last year around lent, i saw an article that said instead of giving something up, give something away... perked my interest.

Then i read "The hole in our Gospel" ... the Lord was preparing my heart before hand- and it hit me, just as it has many others... read it.

Then i was studying I Timothy 6 and the love of money... leading to all kinds of evil.

And i read Randy Alcorn's chapter on money in "For the Fame of God's Name"

And all this happening in the midst of raising support, moving to a new place and beginning to set up a new home...


For the rest of the year i am going to do a type of fast each month... one i would like you to join with me. i'll still be eating... but i will be fasting

⁵ Is such the fast that I choose,
    a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
   and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
   and a day acceptable to the LORD? 
⁶"Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of wickedness,
   to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
   and to break every yoke?
⁷Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
   and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
    and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
⁸ Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
    the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard...
¹⁰ if you pour yourself out for the hungry
   and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
   and your gloom be as the noonday.
¹¹And the LORD will guide you continually
   and satisfy your desire in scorched places
   and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
   like a spring of water,
   whose waters do not fail.

~ Isaiah 58: 5-8,10-11

The month of June will be a "Water" fast

No, not just drinking water... but when i drink something, it will be water... no pop, no coke, no frappacinos, no lemonade, no coffee, no alcohol... just water.

·       drink water instead of pop, lemonade, coffee, alcohol, etc

o   every time I drink water, remember to pray for those who have no water

o   every time I drink a glass of water/ every time i crave another type of drink ask God to give me a deeper thirst for Him

·       donate whatever money I would have spent on that drink i am choosing not to drink to WorldVision to help bring drinking water to those in need 

·       memorize verses on

o   thirsting for God

o   giving to the poor

Maybe this won't be a big challenge for you. i want to try to drink more water anyway - but it is still hard for me to resist other drinks... and even though i don't often choose to buy a pop, i still think about it... now when those cravings come i will pray and instead of hording that money i am saving for myself or using it on myself, i want to give it away.

The idea is, i will restrict myself, so i can give away to others... and also to develop my thirst for God.

That may not produce a whole lot of extra money, so maybe i will consider other things, like donating additional money for each bottle/glass of water i drink

i hope you will join me.
i believe as we give away, we will experience joy and experience the Lord.
Jesus said "It is more blessed to give than receive"
i know i enjoy receiving, so i can imagine how good giving can be.
As we give to the poor, we honor Christ and we reflect Christ's heart and attitude- esp to those receiving His love & blessing.
We do have an obligation to give & to help the poor if we are going to follow Christ.

And be giving away money, we are investing in eternal rewards and keeping our heart from treasuring wealth & stuff more than Christ.

i also will be praying for a deeper thirst for Jesus and think this fast will also show me how much i trun to other things -even a drink- more than i turn to Jesus.

 ¹ "Come, everyone who thirsts,
   come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
   without money and without price.
² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
   and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
   and delight yourselves in rich food.
³Incline your ear, and come to me;
    hear, that your soul may live;

~ Isaiah 55:1-3