How to give something up for Lent

Welcome to the first day of Lent and the first day of this series! I’ll be honest, I’m really excited for what’s to come. This first week’s post is dedicated to what a lot of Christians are about to embark on: a 40-day fast. If you’ve spent the past few Lenten seasons giving something up and seem to think you can’t stop yourself from messing up OR you’ve never even tried giving something up because you’re scared to even try, don’t worry about it.

read Matthew 4:1-11

Every year leading up to Ash Wednesday, I look at my life and ask myself “What do I want to give up this year?” Like a lot of American Christians, I find myself cringing at the indulgent lifestyle I find myself in. I’m the person that spends $6 on coffee at least 4 times a week, I buy little things from Target because “it’s just too cute”, and I am an avid Amazon Prime user. So when it comes time to give something up, I find myself asking myself the real question, “Can I really give this up for 40 days?” Sound familiar?
If so, here's how I would encourage you to embark on a Lenten 'fast'. 

1. There is no pressure to give anything up. Don’t feel like you need to. 
   1. Fasting is less about giving something up and more about attuning your heart to the Lord. The origins of giving something up for Lent relate back to the text of Matthew 4:1-11 (tagged above) where Jesus returns from His 40-day fast in the desert. His fast, like ours, is more about preparing for service to the Lord. In most fasts, they are accompanied by devoted prayer and worship because it’s less about focusing on what you’re giving up and more about replacing what you gave up with time with Jesus. If you’re trying to give up coffee in the morning (you’re stronger than I am), spend extra time with the Lord in the morning. If you’re giving up social media, calculate your screen time and spend the time you originally spent on social media reading the Bible. Again, it’s not about what you’re giving up but about devoting yourself to learning and growing with the Lord. 
2. Adding is easier.
   1. I’ll always say that although it may not seem like it, adding something to your routine takes less effort than taking something out. It doesn’t force you to build an entirely new routine and allows for you to be flexible and individualize your walk with the Lord. Say you spend 5 minutes every morning making your coffee. While you make your coffee, listen to a reading from the Bible using the Bible app or listen to a worship song. Spend your drive in the morning listening to a podcast of a sermon instead of the morning radio. If you’re not used to praying before you eat, devote time to pray before a meal and even better, pray afterwards as well. It’s nice to give something up to devote yourself to a discipline, but if you’re able to transform the things you already do on a day-to-day basis: it makes moving out of the Lenten season so much more transformative. 
3. It’s all about Jesus. 
   1. In the passage above, Jesus is tempted by Satan after His 40-day fast three separate times. I think that's the part of the passage that really transformed the way I view the meaning of giving something up for Lent. If you can’t give something up or add something to your life without the ability to face your temptations with the power of the Lord,   I’m telling you right now you’ve wasted your time. Now I’ve always loved the Lenten Season. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent years watching my parents prepare for a season of Lent within their churches, but I just love that it’s such a special season in the life of the Church where we all commit ourselves to a season of spiritual renewal and transformation. After all, the Lenten Season is a reminder of why we celebrate our new life in Christ. It's less about "am I able to give something up for 40 days?" and more about "How can I use these 40 days to guide myself closer and closer to the pleasing the heart of the Lord?" 

If you’ve read this whole post and still don’t know where to go, don’t worry. There’s no pressure to do something you’re not ready to do right now. I’ve been in your shoes. Here’s my special super secret tip: just journal every single day throughout Lent. Not even a long journal; start with something simple. 
Write down 3 things every day:
1. Where have you seen God today?
2. What have you done to serve God today?
3. How can you be Jesus for someone tomorrow?
As many times as I've messed up my Lenten discipline, I’ve also been blessed with a Savior (just like you have been) who sees us in our confusion and mishaps and meets us where we are. If you've never engaged in a spiritual discipline like this before, don't feel any pressure to be perfect right off the bat. Remember that we are bound to fail, but we are made right in Christ.
I chose the verse of Micah 7:7 for this specific reason. It reminds me that I can spend my time trying to be the perfect Christian and get upset when I fail OR I can spend my time knowing that no matter how many times I fall down, my God will hear my cry. When I'm down, I will wait for the Lord to rescue me because  I know He will hear me. Regardless of where you are in your walk with the Lord, let Micah 7:7 be your prayer this Lenten season. Let it remind you that God has heard His people from wherever they have come from. Whatever you decide to do for Lent, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen. I can't promise you that you'll succeed. You might give up one week in, you might give up one day in. But I can promise you that whatever happens during these next 40 days, we have a Savior who died so that we can have abundant life through Him & a Father who is there to hear our cries.