Should Christians Lend Themselves To Lent?

As the season of Lent 2017 winds down I thought that I would lend a thought to Lent. If that is past tense would I have lent a thought to Lent? Anyway, as I have been driving various routes this past month I have seen many church signs about observing this “time of reflection”. The question that comes up often is whether Christians should observe Lent. Many do, and many don’t. But before we begin to answer that question we need to first discuss what is Lent. It should not be confused with “lint”, which is that stuff that I carry around in my pockets that seem to always be empty. Nor should it be confused with that nasty stuff that piles up in your belly button. It should also not be confused with Lindt, which are those oh so delicious chocolate truffles that are covered in hazelnuts. I got you craving one of those, don’t I? It’s OK, you don’t have to deny it. Go on and go getcha one. I’ll wait for you…

Now that you’re back… what is Lent? Lent is basically a 40-day period that begins on Ash Wednesday and leads right up to Easter/Resurrection Sunday. It can be viewed as a time of fasting, self-denial, repentance, and reflection. In regard to “fasting”, many believers who observe this give up various luxuries (such as watching TV), vices (such as smoking and drinking, which should be given up altogether), and foods that one would deem unhealthy (like Lindt truffles). Some even observe devotionals, and some even take the time to read their Bible for the 40 days when otherwise they would not. The period of 40-days is thought to have originated in observance to the 40-days that Christ had spent in the wilderness fasting. Its purpose, other than an overall denial of the self, is to prepare oneself for Easter Sunday. It is believed that it began during the council of Nicaea in 325. There is so much more to discuss about Lent in regard to various histories and theories and what not, but for the sake of our attention spans we will avoid that. Besides, a full-on history report is not why I am here. The question is whether a Christian should observe it.

My take on it is not a simple “yes” or “no”. In theory, there is nothing wrong with a Christian observing Lent. However, its observance and the reasoning for it is actually pointless if you think about it. If one so chooses to spend 40-days in self-denial, great. But what does the scriptures tell us? Jesus said in Luke 9 “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” (vv. 23-24). As Christians we are indeed expected to deny ourselves. This involves turning away from sin (repentance) and turning from our carnal and worldly passions. James 4:4 says “Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” And Colossians 3:5 states “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (KJV). We are new creatures in Christ once we are made righteous by accepting Him as Lord and following Him. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). So for a Christian to take the time to repent and to fast from worldly pleasures is a great thing for our spirit indeed. But is 40 days good enough?

Jesus said in Luke 9 for us to deny ourselves and take up our cross “daily”. As Christians we should be examining ourselves on a daily basis. In regard to communion, 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 says “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” 2 Corinthians 13:5 also says “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”. We should constantly be examining ourselves and seeking the help of the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24). There is nothing wrong with self-examination. But it needs to lead to a self-denial of our sinful ways and worldly lusts. In James 4 it goes on to say “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (vv. 7-10). We should be willing to dig deep and crucify whatever wickedness that we find. We should weep over our own destructive ways. We should confess our wickedness to God and seek Him in both Word and prayer so that we may be renewed and strengthened. And if we believe that 40-days is good enough to accomplish this then we are fooling ourselves. How do we expect to draw near to God if we spend the other 325 days of the year proudly bathing in the worldliness that is an enemy to God? It is like eating nothing but Doritos, Fudge Rounds, Hot Pockets, and Mountain Dew for 325 days, then eating a healthy whole foods diet for the other 40 and expecting not to get diabetes or cancer. Oh yeah, and you can throw those Lindt truffles into that junk food regiment too.

So should Christians observe Lent? It is entirely up to them. However, giving up TV, drinking, smoking, red meats, or whatever you may choose to set aside to get closer to God is not what He desires because it is all works based. For example, let’s say you give up TV for 40-days and maybe replace it with prayer and more Bible reading. That’s great, but what do you plan to accomplish after your 40-days are over? If you are sweating during those 40-days because you are missing your favorite episodes of The Walking Dead (I will never understand Christians who watch such unholy filth), or if you are counting down the days until you can once again grab the remote, then you’re doing it for the flesh and not the Spirit. Your desire isn’t truly to be more holy and to enter into a more powerful relationship with The Lord, but instead is to appease Him. What we should yearn for is a lifetime of seeking God’s face as did King David. We should constantly be examining ourselves and repenting of our sins that separate us from the fellowship that God desires for us. We should also set aside anything that stands between us and God or that we feel is a hindrance to our spiritual growth. You think TV is a hindrance and should be set aside for Lent? Why only 40-days if it is a hindrance? Is seeking God more than a 40-day setting aside of those things that weaken us and cause us to stumble? Growing to be more like Christ is a lifelong process for the believer. It takes constantly putting away those things that are a hindrance as the Holy Spirit reveals them to us. Only doing this once every year is doing away with them, only to place them back in between you and God. If you are a Christian who does this everyday then observing Lent will have no purpose for you other than being a meaningless tradition as you run with the crowd. However, if you only take 40 days out of each year to repent, fast, pray, and seek to remember Jesus’ sacrifice and grow closer to God, then it is time to make those 40-days into a lifetime. Christ sacrificed himself so that you would be made holy by each passing day. Can you not give Him more than 40-days?

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Romans 13:11-14).

In Christ Alone