PAUSE and PREPARE
Early Christians felt the importance of Easter called for
special preparations. The first mention of a 40-day period of fasting in preparation for Easter is found in the Canons of Nicaea (AD 325). Eventually, the season evolved into a period of spiritual devotion for the everyone.
Lent – a 40 day journey to Easter Sunday.
The word Lent is an old Saxon word meaning “spring,” and no, it is not in the Bible. In fact, the word Easter is not in the original scriptures either. (However, one English translation of the Bible does use the word. The King James Version.)
The practices and commitmentsof Lent such as prayer, fasting, repentance, moderation, self-denial, (giving up something—a habit, watching TV, social media, or a food or drink, sweets, etc.)spiritual discipline (such as reading the Bible and spending moretime in prayer to grow spiritually and be drawn nearer to God in their relationship with Him.)
and almsgiving – (noun(used with a singular or plural verb) money, food, or other donations given to the poor or needy; anything given as charity.. “The hands of the beggars were outstretched for alms”)….are, indeed Biblical (multiple scriptures),Christ-centered (Matt. 6:5–24)and are heavily emphasized. These commitments are doing something to incorporate more time with God in a humbling and very intentional way!
The season of Lent is a participation in Jesus life,
not an entrance fee to heaven.
It’s a season of spiritual devotion with roots in Jewish worship, the teachings of Jesus, and the practices of the apostles and early church. It is a season of repentance. It is about pruning and cutting things back so that we may grow closer and deeper to Christ.
The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ, His suffering, His sacrifice, His life, His death, His burial and His awesome RESURRECTION.
Like many spiritual disciplines, there is much confusion, misunderstanding and misinformation behind the practice of Lent.
Don’t impugn the motives of those who have found spiritual benefit in setting aside a time of the year for reflection. Your favorite time of year for fasting may be the first of the year. That’s great. But, don’t judge others for their observance in preparation for Easter.
Lent is not a gimmick, trend, a ritual or a fad! In fact, history indicates that Lent is here to stay. Fog machines, using certain "latest" technology devices and many other trends or fads are often gimmicks. The point is– we are not called to cast disdainful judgments about people who practice Lent or whether they don’t. Sadly, too many Christians are suffering from too much self-righteousness and put themselves on pedestals.
(Pedestals = Pride. “Pride goeth before destruction an an haughty spirit before a fall”. Proverbs 16:18)
Setting time aside for certain spiritual practices, devotions, preparations and disciplines allows us to focus more intently on God for a deeper understanding and growth in our relationship with Him.
In church history, there were plenty of Puritans who banned Christmas, Easter, and any special Sunday, but I don’t see many people today taking a saw to their Christmas trees. Do you?
Understand that what is more important than the practices we take on is the heart attitude behind them. If there is anything we should give up this time of year, it us our judgmental attitudes and sense of superiority, whether it is to Christians or non-Christians and to those who attend church or those who do things differently than we do.
The cross levels us all….
whether you practice Lent or not.
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