Many people use Lent for taking the complexity out of parts of their lives. They take a Lenten fast from lifestyle clutter.
Over the years I have collected what students have told me that they were giving up for lent:
- Drinking Soft Drinks
- Drinking Sweet Tea
- Homework
- School
- Dating
- Candy
- Desserts
- Chocolate
- Eating Red Meat
- Eating Chicken
- Eating McDonald's
- Texting
- Myspace
Lent is not all about giving things up. It's also about adding good things to our lives or to others' lives -- the kind of good things that follow on what Jesus asks of us, especially that which relates to what we're giving up.
I have also been told by students what they are going to add during the time of lent:
- Reading the Bible Daily
- Daily exercise
- Daily walk
- Do their homework as soon as they get home
- Finish their chores before dinner
- hang out with their family more
Can skipping that burrito at lunch really show God how much you love Him? Fasting can be a big question mark in the Christian life, so watch The Skit Guys’ new video and get The Skinny on Fasting.
youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVawgv8gA3o
Great video. I think that fast should really be done as a combination of removing and addition. Simply removing something from your life, is not what fasting is about. It is about sacrificing something in order to spend more time with God. Often in Scripture you will see that it was a time for "prayer and fasting".
ReplyDeleteYes, you can give up a meal, but how does that glorify God? What is the point of giving up carbonated beverages (which I have done before)? How does it deepen your relationship to the Creator of all things? For me it didn't, it became something that I could say or show to people to give the appearance of spirituality.
I have learned that fasting must have a purpose and bring you closer to God. The point of removing a meal, was to spend additional time in study, pray and seeking God. All to often I found that I used it for my daily quite time, instead of something added on to it.
Thanks for the thought provoking post. Take the care!