Are You Missing Out on the Blessing?

A few days ago, a Christian acquaintance of mine posted on Facebook that while she didn’t come from a liturgical background, she had decided to give up her biggest vice for Lent “because it’s a set timeframe.” Forty days to break a bad habit in the name of the Lord.

I sighed. I wanted to message her and say, “Ok, wait a minute here. You are missing the point.” But I don’t know her all that well, so I didn’t. Plus, it’s tough to explain liturgical practices to those who haven’t grown up with them.

But here I am now, taking a stab at it anyway.

For one thing, you don’t have to come from a liturgical (Catholic, Episcopalian, Anglican, etc.) background to observe Lent. Lent is simply a recognition of the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the desert after his baptism, during which Satan tempted him and he prevailed (see Matthew 4, Luke 4). The liturgical church calendar places Lent during the weeks leading up to Easter, a time apropos for the “preparation of our hearts” to recognize the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

During Lent, most Christian observers do give up some kind of vice, something they struggle with, but the point of Lent is not conquering your addiction to social media (the biggest lenten trend of the past few years) or losing five pounds by fasting from your Sonic habit. The point of Lent is not the thing we turn away from. It is who we turn toward.

Let me say it again: The point of Lent is not the turning away. The point of Lent is the turning toward.

As we have crossed the threshold into the first week of Lent, which began yesterday, instead of asking God, “What do you want me to sacrifice?” as I’ve done in years past, I’ve been asking him, “What is getting in the way of my relationship with you?”

See, Lent is about clearing space. It’s about identifying the things we rely on for our comfort and security instead of God, and about moving those things aside so we can move into a place of greater dependence on him, of deeper communion with him. We surrender our earthly crutches and are compelled therefore to lean instead on the Father who loves us for strength, for comfort, for peace.

If we simply abstain from our vices without moving toward God in their place, then we have done nothing in the Spirit. We have only sought to break our own chains, to rely on our own strength. We are seeing Lent as an opportunity for earthly gain rather than spiritual growth. By doing so, we miss the blessings inherent in Lent. We miss out on knowing our God more intimately. We miss out on building a deeper trust. We miss out on the opportunity to lay down our burdens.

Ideally, we would carry these blessings past the forty days of Lent, we would be shaped by them and drawn forward by them and enriched by them. If we do not, what have we accomplished?

Whether you are observing Lent for the forty-third year or the first, I pray you will keep your eyes on the One who loves you most, and that you will feel the blessings that come from turning toward him.

Harmony Harkema has loved the written word for as long as she can remember. A former English teacher turned editor, she has spent the past seven years in the publishing industry. A novelist and blogger in the fringe hours of her working mom life, Harmony also has a heart for leading and coaching aspiring writers. Harmony lives in Memphis with her husband and two small daughters. She blogs at harmonyharkema.com.

Photograph © Flash Bros., used with permission

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