Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Lent is a tradition practiced by Catholics and Lutherans, as well as a few other denominations and individuals, where they use the next month and a half to prepare themselves to celebrate Christ’s resurrection by fasting, abstinence, or focusing on particular spiritual disciplines such as prayer or reading of Scripture. Today, those who attend a special Catholic Mass will receive a cross on their forehead made from ashes, hence: Ash Wednesday.
We typically don’t give a second thought to Lent, which is fine because you won’t find it anywhere in Scripture as a command, implication, or even an example. However, we are expected to purposefully make ourselves a little uncomfortable every now and then.
Matt 6:16 – “And when you fast…” Although fasting is not commanded, it seems to be expected. Fasting is not just about going hungry or cutting certain foods out of your diet. Instead, it’s about self-denial and using the shock to your system as a means of sharpening your attention to God and His presence in your life. Even though we may pray fervently during a fast, after missing a few meals, we are going to be hungry. We will still feel the hunger pains. Becoming more reliant on God does not always mean that we will be living in comfort and material abundance. Sometimes we are expected to endure pain.
Luke 9:23 – “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Being a disciple of Christ means that we can’t take hold of everything that we want. We have to say “No” to things that only fulfill selfish desires. This is not an easy task, especially when surrounded by a culture that places worldly success, pleasure, and comfort as ideal attributes.
The idea behind Lent is good in that for these next several weeks, many people will take their spiritual life more seriously and try harder to cut ties with the world and replace them with ties to the Father. However, we are not called to draw closer to God for just the next month and a half. We are called to “always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thes 5:15-17). We should not need a special time of year to cut ties with the world and strengthen our ties to God. That should be a 365 day annual event.
Let today be the start of a Lent that does not end on Easter but rather transforms your life from now until we join in the resurrection with Christ.