What is Lent anyway?
Millions of people all over the world are going to take part in Lent and are choosing to give certain 'things' up for 40 days. These 'things' might include certain foods, beverages, bad habits, negative behavior, etc... but there is a lot more to the religious celebration than ditching sweets, physical possessions or indulgences before Easter.
Lent is a season of 40 days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2017, and ends on the Saturday before Easter. The 40 days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. If you recall, Jesus was tempted three times by Satan. These temptations are familiar to us because we face the same kinds of temptations. Read Matthew 4:1-11 for the full story.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians follow Jesus' example by focusing on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something, give of themselves to others, or to start a new healthy habit. Over the next 40 days, be intentional about letting go of something - maybe it's negativity or a bad attitude. Don't expect it to happen quickly, but practice with the hope that change will come and that it will last. Go for it! Forty days could easily turn into a lifetime.
Ask your child...
What are you willing to give up for Lent?
Challenge your child...
To start a new habit - maybe it's reading the Bible every day or praying for someone who mistreats them or someone they dislike.
Prayer...
God, during this season of Lent, help me to focus on what you would have me change in my life. Help me to examine my life and to put off my old ways and to put on a new way of living. Amen.
Millions of people all over the world are going to take part in Lent and are choosing to give certain 'things' up for 40 days. These 'things' might include certain foods, beverages, bad habits, negative behavior, etc... but there is a lot more to the religious celebration than ditching sweets, physical possessions or indulgences before Easter.
Lent is a season of 40 days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2017, and ends on the Saturday before Easter. The 40 days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. If you recall, Jesus was tempted three times by Satan. These temptations are familiar to us because we face the same kinds of temptations. Read Matthew 4:1-11 for the full story.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians follow Jesus' example by focusing on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something, give of themselves to others, or to start a new healthy habit. Over the next 40 days, be intentional about letting go of something - maybe it's negativity or a bad attitude. Don't expect it to happen quickly, but practice with the hope that change will come and that it will last. Go for it! Forty days could easily turn into a lifetime.
Ask your child...
What are you willing to give up for Lent?
Challenge your child...
To start a new habit - maybe it's reading the Bible every day or praying for someone who mistreats them or someone they dislike.
Prayer...
God, during this season of Lent, help me to focus on what you would have me change in my life. Help me to examine my life and to put off my old ways and to put on a new way of living. Amen.
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