Tomorrow is the beginning of lent. If you haven't decided what you're giving up you have nine hours and thirty six minutes at the time of me writing (GMT of course). However, I have been thinking about Lent and what it means and why you should do it.
The forty days of Lent is due to Jesus being in the desert for forty days before the start of his ministry. Here is was tested in various ways by the devil. If you want to read what the Bible says then you can click here. In the days of old they use to give up all luxury foods and fast like Jesus did, but now we mostly give up chocolate or something like that. My question to you is why do it and what should a fast be like?
Well, Jesus did it to prepare himself and to be tested by the devil. We learn that you cannot just live on food alone and need Jesus, but also that we should serve the Lord only. During this time we should not, as Rachael put it, 'get rid of the Christmas weight', but sort out our priorities before God. If there is something that we put above serving and worshipping God this is the time to sort it out. For me, it is time. I'm always thinking 'I haven't the time to read the Bible, etc.', when I do. So I'm dedicating an hour every day to spending time with God.
So I want to know if you're giving up anything, what it is, and why.
I can't believe it's lent tomorrow! Argh! I didn't even know... That means it's pancake day today! What?! Hmmm... I'm going to have to think hard about this one...
ReplyDeletegotta love it: 'For forty days and nights he ... ate nothing ... and when the time was up he was hungry.' I think famished or starving might be more appropriate, lol.
ReplyDeleteSo, not to be difficult, but if we don't want to be tested by the devil, should we not fast? Or will we be tested anyway and the fasting makes us spiritually stronger, whilst becoming physically weaker? k
Yogurt, because the only other idea I have is everything other than yogurt (in the sweets section) or it could always include yogurt I guess.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the 'everything other than yogurt' would be honestly, both a genuine sacrifice, but also getting rid of the xmas weight.
And I don't really like the idea of giving up a certain sin for lent, because thats what I'm always doing, and failing! I guess you can concentrate much more on a certain sin, but I've tried this before outside lent and it just seems to tip the weighing scales towards another sin, I realy didn't understand why though and it could have been a one off I guess...
a) Kay: I was more questioning people's motives. God rarely figures in the equation when deciding what to give up for Lent, whereas God should be the whole and only reason. If you think you able able to fast and do it for the right reasons then go for it. Don't just give up chocolate or something because that's what everyone else does.
ReplyDeleteb)Rose: You should be trying to give up sins all the time. I was more going along the lines of using Lent as a time to put God as the priority in your life, rather than facebook/university work/yogurt.
c) I feel like an agony aunt or something.