Lent: Addition or Subtraction

We are about one week away from the beginning of Lent, and you might be thinking that it is a little early to be thinking about it. After all, we haven't eaten our pancakes or had any ashes imposed upon our foreheads. Lent can be seen as a time or season of spiritual preparation for Easter, but in reality, Lent is a spiritual season that is observed traditionally with a heightened focus on fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. In a sense, it is a season of preparation, but it is a season that requires some preparation before we enter it.

Traditionally, and perhaps culturally, we tend to think of Lent as a season of giving something up. But we are not called to simply give something up for forty days. We are called to fast for 40 days. Fasting is a tangible way to deny ourselves—to declare before God that we know it's all about Him, not about us. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to follow me must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Jesus fasted (Matthew 4:1-4). Prayer is also an important focus of this season and accompanies fasting. John Wesley was a proponent of fasting, and he felt so strongly about it that he would not ordain any pastor who did not fast on Wesley's prescribed days, Wednesday and Friday.

Fasting intensifies your prayer life and it helps us focus and hear the Lord more in our walk with him.

In this season, I encourage you to consider incorporating a fast as part of your journey this Lent. However, do not fast for multiple days without consulting your physician. A typical Wesleyan fast would begin at sundown one day and end at 3:00 p.m. the next afternoon and no foods are consumed during that time. Some choose to fast from sun up to sundown. There is no hard and fast rule. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Should you choose to fast, please focus on prayer and hydration. Drink plenty of water.

This is usually a season where we take things away or give things up, but we can also make this season truly meaningful by observing a reverse fast, meaning that we add something to our lives. I have a book that I have set aside to be a special Lenten resource to guide my daily meditation, reflection, and prayer. You could commit to a prayer walk through your neighborhood every day or a few days a week. I hope you get my point. 

We can add to or take away, but the primary thing I want to highlight is that we must consider this now, so that we may prepare for a meaningful Lent. Let's not stumble into this important season, but let's focus together on ways that we can grow closer to the Lord in the coming weeks.