Lent

I know, I know, I'm super late. But I haven't really given up anything for lent, and I really wanted to. There's this thing I've been meaning to stop doing, so I quit the day of lent, but it's not quite the same thing. I haven't given up anything that I plan on taking up again. I guess, I wanted to give up something that might even be good, or pleasing to me, but that in its absence I'd be able to think about and ponder on the reason for Lent.

So... the reason for Lent. Talking to a friend recently, I asked why she was celebrating Lent. And by celebrate I mean she gave up alcohol and sodas. What a huge sacrifice for her! But why? She is not "religious" or even like the Church much, but she sacrifices. She hesitantly described a feeling of identification with the kind of sacrifice made by Jesus. She simply said, thinking about Easter, her sacrifice wasn't all that big, that when she craved for that thing which she gave up, she'd think, "I don't really need it, it's not that big of a deal." She also mentioned the idea, from her mom, I think, that Lent was a time to "better yourself." I guess by that, she meant that it's a time when we might give up something that is not good for us. But why during Lent? Why not New Year's Resolutions?

If I look to Jesus as my example, and I do, and I find His sacrifice, not just historical and religious but insanely personal to me, and life-changing, which I do, then Lent must be for me, a time to think about Him. If I believe in those 40 days and nights of temptation, fasting and sacrifice leading up to that Easter Sunday of complete surrender, and I do, this Lent season must be for me more than just a discipline, a resolution or a self-help seminar. I want to think about the temptations in my life, those things that I constantly put first, though they are not a true value and priority and begin to analyze how I can sacrifice them. But the sacrifice in itself is not the point. For, what am I sacrificing for?

So I look back at Jesus, Lent, Easter, and I ponder on why He sacrificed, why He was tempted and disciplined Himself to prepare for His suffering. And if I believe that His death and suffering were crucial to my freedom, and I do, I sacrifice so that His death and suffering were not a waste. I sacrifice and discipline myself because He died that I might not be enslaved anymore to random things like TV, food, relationships, Facebook, et al.

So what now? What do I give up for Lent? I thought of facebook. That might be the one that wins. Maybe it should be something I start doing. I know, I'm like a week late, but I've never done Lent, so maybe this is the year. We'll see.