Ash Wednesday - February 18,2015

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

What Will You Give Up?

Nate Sawyer

           

                  It’s that time again, Lent. So what are you going to give up for Lent? This is the question many people ask. What should I give up: chocolate, Facebook, desserts, soda, meat, caffeine, extra-soft toilet paper…? You fill in the blank. Sometimes I hear Christians have this discussion about what they will sacrifice, and think to myself, do you have any idea what this is even for, or are you just hopping on the bandwagon and following everyone else?

                  I’m sorry if it sounds like I’m judging those who are giving up some of these things for Lent, but, why do it? Evidently this is a big deal, the prophet Joel says: “Let all the land tremble…, a great and powerful army...” Lent is a season of the Christian year that we prepare, “for the day of the Lord is coming.” What are we preparing for and how? We are preparing for the death and resurrection of Jesus, a big deal to us Christians! So what does giving something up have to do with it? Well, preparing involves a reset, a fresh start in your relationship with Jesus by repenting for your mistakes, setting some stuff aside that gets between you and God, and remembering the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross.

                  One year for Lent I decided that instead of giving something up, I was going to add something. Every day, each morning, shortly after waking up, I would spend at least 30 minutes in prayer, devotion, or meditation. 30 minutes does not sound like much, but at first, it felt like I was giving up time. However, I quickly realized that I needed this time as much as I needed my morning cup of coffee or breakfast. Those 30 minutes became a way for me to prepare for the Lord’s coming by connecting with God in some new ways. Although I’m far from perfect at this discipline, it has turned into a regular prayer time, a time when God and I talk. So how will you prepare and what might you give up or add this season of Lent?