I have been eagerly awaiting the season of Lent almost since we finished the season of Advent. There is something in me so hungry for the rhythm and routine of intentional worship and study of the life of Christ. I was not raised with either of these traditions, but I find myself hungry for the structure. For Christians, Lent leads us to the awe and wonder of Easter. Lent, for those who follow a liturgical calendar, takes place during the six and a half weeks leading up to Easter, and it is an opportunity to draw near to Christ with prayer, fasting, and humble service.
Lent can be the highlight of the year if we let it.
It can be better than Christmas, if we turn our hearts and minds to Christ.
It can be bigger than a birthday celebration, because we are celebrating new life in Christ with the resurrection story.
And it can be about so much more than the anticipation of Easter baskets and chocolate eggs.
As a parent, I am eager to share the journey of Lent with my family, see them be drawn by their own understanding of what sacrifice looks like, and watch them grasp the ultimate sacrifice God made on our behalf. But I am equally as eager to search my own heart, come to God in my own prayer life, and enjoy the riches to be found in this season.
The following portion of this post was originally written in 2017 by one of our staff writers, Gabbie Nolen-Fratantoni. Because it was so well written and speaks to our hearts, we have updated it a bit and are happy to bring it back:
What is Lent?
Lent is typically a period of 40 days beginning on Ash Wednesday and culminating on Good Friday. Why 40 days? Jesus spent 40 days in the desert in prayer and fasting before He began His public ministry, and Lent is modeled after this time in the wilderness.
The Spirit immediately drove Him out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And He was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to Him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the Gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.”
Mark 1:12-15
Lent, while often expressed otherwise, should not be about giving up a personal vice in order to attain some sort of heavenly gain. That’s crazy and utterly unbiblical. The gain, is already given. The gain gave His life because there is nothing we, as sinners, could ever do to be righteous before God. Always look to God’s Word to remind you of the truth.
We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21
Lent is about recognizing (beyond the surface level) how our sins have separated us from God. Acknowledging our attraction and draw to the trivial things in life humbles us to see potential idols that are taking our focus off the Holy things. We can do nothing apart from Christ. Whether it is breaking that cell phone habit or addiction to the gym (yes, that is a real thing!), there are a variety of things we can choose to fast from during the Lent season to make more room to pray, study God’s Word, and draw closer to God.
Lent is about giving God every part of you. It is a time to reflect, to repent, to seek renewal, and to ultimately find restoration and healing in your relationship with the Lord.
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster. Who knows whether He will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?
Joel 2:12-14
How can we make our celebration of Lent different this year?
It is so easy to get distracted and treat these upcoming weeks just as all the others on the calendar. Decide to not get distracted. Ask God to help you in your weakness, and He will. If you choose to fast, it is not about giving something up for the sake of giving something up. It is about physically focusing on the very real torment of our Savior and the very real agony He suffered. Nothing we ever do nor any struggle we ever face will be even a sliver of what our Savior went through on our behalf. But since He desires all of us, let us make it our grandest goal to give Him the best of us! It makes that empty cross on Sunday all the more powerful when we remember the one on which He hung on Good Friday. It was indeed good for us, but it cost a fortune.
I find myself weeping with genuine remorse for how Jesus suffered for my sins and the sins of the world—when I deeply and purposefully acknowledge my sins and ask Him to make me aware of those I may not even recognize. And then, guess what? I celebrate with exceeding and abundant joy that He did not stay on that cross and that His body is not in that tomb. I celebrate that I get to spend eternity pouring out praise to my Maker! Without acknowledging that the cross was not always empty, however, we can very easily skip the weeping that lasts for the night and very easily make the heinous and horrific death of our Savior, Jesus, just another event that happened along the way to His ascension.
There is death, and there is life. You cannot have one without the other. We are made alive in Christ Jesus, and we must die to our flesh daily. What a phenomenal time to focus—as a family—on surrendering, with sincere hearts, to our Creator God. And then, as a family on Easter Sunday, celebrating that it is indeed finished.
When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.
John 19:30
Lent Family Resources:
- In 2019 we created Journey Through The Season of Lent, a downloadable PDF booklet with ten family devotionals and family-friendly activities to use during this time to help you guide your family.
- The Wonder of Easter: An Easter journey for the whole family, by Ed Drew, where you and your family will follow the footsteps of Jesus in both the gospel of Luke and part of the Old Testament
- On Calvary’s Hill: 40 Readings for the Easter Season, by Max Lucado
- The Bible App for Kids (available in both the iOS and Google app store) has stories and activities for younger kids to interact with the stories of Jesus’ ministry and Easter.
- Welcome Risen Jesus: Lent and Easter Reflections for Families, by Sarah A. Reinhard