Lent: Giving up, while keeping the focus

Today is the beginning of Lent. As it is a season of self-denial, fasting, Christian growth, and simplicity, many people are "giving something up" in recognition of this time set aside in the church calendar/year. It is also a time of remembrance and reverence and reflection of what Christ did in the desert. He fasted 40 days and 40 nights (Matt. 4; Luke 4). Even through His many struggles during those 40 days and 40 nights, He overcame them all. Since we are called to be like Jesus in modeling Him in His words and actions, we can do that in one way by giving something up for Him. Our act of giving something up for Christ's sake, also imperfectly mirrors (at best) Christ's loving sacrifice for us; by giving His very life for us on the cross.

Grace is freely offered over to us and has been readily available since before the beginning of time (2 Tim. 1:9). I still don't understand it fully, and I may never understand it. For if I were to fully understand God's grace, I may become prideful and desire to do nothing for His glory. I desire to learn from Him, by focusing on Who He is and what He has done for us, rather than focusing on myself. But sadly, I don't always do what I want to do (Rom. 7). It is with the word "focus" that I want to continue discussing the season of Lent. 

When Jesus was in the desert, He was fasting and He was also being tempted by Satan (Matt. 4; Luke 4). The entire span of the 40 day period, Jesus was focused on God. He gave up food for the sake of the glory of God. He desired to show dedication to His Father God by fasting and keeping mind and heart full of the Holy Spirit (Mark 4:1; Luke 4:1) in His act of worship to God. 

Jesus not only gave something up for those 40 days (what we now call "Lent"), but during Lent, He was completely and utterly focused on God's Word. He quotes Scripture to Satan in response to Satan's attempts to sway Jesus to worship him instead of God The Father. When Satan tries to use Scripture against Jesus, He knows Satan's usage is out of context, and wins the battle even again. And why? Granted, Jesus is part of the Trinity, and therefore in constant reciprocating relationship with the other members, but Jesus was able to win because He was completely centered on God. Being in the Trinity helps a bit.

So for the Lenten season, it's not just what you "give up", it's also about Who you choose as your focus. If you give up chocolate, will you be doing it for the glory of God; to honor Him?  Or will you be doing it for yourself?  If you give up chocolate, you could try to see how Jesus felt when He gave up food in order to bring glory to God during those 40 days and 40 nights. In the Lenten time period when you feel like you are tempted to eat chocolate (or whatever you decide to give up; if anything at all), you could ask God to have your eyes and heart opened more to see what He wants you to see and do for His glory.

Maybe you don't decide to give something up for Lent. Rather you decide to begin a new spiritual discipline that will grow your relationship with Christ in learning more of Him and His love. Since the season of Lent is garnered from Jesus' 40 days and 40 nights in the desert being constantly tempted by Satan to do the wrong thing (the worst thing), choosing to start a new discipline--a focus on a spiritual discipline--could be a way to observe it.

Whether or not you choose to observe Lent, I pray that during these 40 days and 40 nights that you are renewed by God's transforming love, grace, and mercy. I pray that you are not overcome by evil, but that any evil you encounter; that you overcome it with good (Rom. 12:21).