Day 2 of Lent – Thursday, March 3, 2022

We will be talking about what we are giving up for lent. Although Ash Wednesday was yesterday, God doesn’t care about when you start Lent. While yes, there is an “official date” for Lent, Lent is about is about pursing God and abstaining, putting something needless away and focusing your energy on Jesus. 

Lent Rules – Write your own

It is not so much just Jesus, but being like Jesus. Being the hands and feet of Christ. For instance, if you are not scrolling Facebook for that two hours a day and using that time for something good, that is sufficient. As long as your heart is in the right places, and your intentioned are focused you can write your own Lent rules. 

Lent isn’t so much about the discipline of fasting or about giving something up, or even about identifying the suffering of Jesus, because let’s face it: temporary craving of an ice cream sundae brownie doesn’t even come close to the suffering our Lord endured for our salvation. It’s so much more. 

Lent is meant to bring us face-to-face with our sinfulness and our weakness, and bring us to our knees and recognition that we need a savior, even after all these years of being a weekly church service attendee. 

What to give up for Lent? Below is a list of some possible ideas. 

Soda
Wasting time  – perhaps use that time for volunteering / community involvement 
 Endless Facebook Scrolling
Starbucks – rather than buying yourself a coffee, pay it forward and buy someone else a coffee! 
Eating out – perhaps try doing meal prep at home
procrastination
Self doubt – you are good enough, smart enough, and people like you!
worrying – leave it to God
Snacks in-between meals
Fast food 
Swearing
Negativity- In a world full of negativity, find a way to spin things to be positive
Comparison – you are writing and living your own story, do not compare it to others

What are things we can do for Lent? Besides giving something up, there are other ways to honor this holy season of Lent

Give things you no longer use away to someone in need 
Buy extra groceries for a local Food Bank
Join a Feed the City Event
Listen more – Rather than being a voice, be an ear to whoever needs it 
Be a Prayer Warrior – Text some friends and ask “How can I Pray for you.” There are so many things to Pray for today
Donate cookies – perhaps to a local fire station, school front office, etc. A cookie always brings a smile
Send a thank you or thinking of you card
Make an extra meal for someone in need 
Gatorade or water for the delivery person – Leave water or Gatorade on the front porch for the delivery person
Talk to your Neighbors 
Be kind to yourself
Let someone go in front of you in line

Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you will not be applauding. 

Matthew 2-4 “When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure – ‘play-actors’ I call them – treating prayer meeting and street corners alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get the applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it – quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helping you out. 

Whether you are giving it up for Jesus, or being the hands and feet of Christ, be intentional and use these days of Lent to grow. I hope these ideas spark something in regards to what to give up for Lent and other ideas on what to do for Lent. 

Be blessed, give grace, and be kind.