Lent – Forty days to a Lifetime

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”     

Matthew 4:1-2

Meditation:

Lent to me is more than fasting for 40 days. This is what I was taught as a child and what I grew up to believe, but for me Lent means more than giving up certain foods or some personal pleasure for 40 days.

Lent for me is when I give up not only certain foods but I search myself to see if there is anything that I am doing and enjoy but maybe is not the best use of my time, or possibly harmful to me or just not good for me. It's making the time to draw nearer to God, by reading a daily devotional,  or just talking to God. Taking time to devote time to prayer and rest from the chaos of the world. For me Lent is the chance to really examine myself and see if there is something I can change for the good. I don’t just give up something for 40 days but for life.

For me Lent gives me the chance to change something not good for me to something better for me. Lent shows me how others gave things up and prayed earnestly to draw closer to God and empowers me to do what I can to draw closer to God myself.

The forty days of Lent prepares me for the changes to come and encourages me to keep on going well beyond the forty days, hopefully for a lifetime.

So however you celebrate Lent, or not, just remember it’s not just about giving up certain foods or personal pleasures for 40 days, it’s a chance to change for the good for a lifetime

Prayer:

God I pray this Lent season draws me closer to you through sacrificing some food I desire or some personal pleasure that may not be in my best interest. I pray that this change, created by sacrificing, last not just for 40 days but for a lifetime. In the name of your son Jesus, I pray your will be done. Amen

Bernice Barnes