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Lent: The Most Misunderstood Season of the Year

by | 68 comments

Lent: The Most Misunderstood Season of the Year

For years, the arrival of Lent was an afterthought in my life. I remembered the season began whenever I ran into someone with a black sooty cross on their forehead. “Oh yeah! Lent is here!” I’d reason.

But I’ve begun to not only anticipate but prepare for Lent with great expectation. As I’ve celebrated Lent over the last few years, I’ve begun recognizing Lent as arguably the most misunderstood season of the year.

The word Lent is based off of the Latin word quadragesima, which means fortieth, representing the forty days Jesus spent in the desert preparing for his upcoming ministry before he was tempted. Throughout Christian history, the purpose of Lent is to prepare the believer for the upcoming celebration of Christ’s resurrection, Easter.

All too often, people become consumed by what they’re giving up for Lent.

You’ve probably heard the question, “What are you giving up for Lent?” Or the proud announcement, “I’m giving up chocolate!” “I’m fasting from Facebook!” or “No carbs for me!”-as if Lent was some sort of sacred diet plan. But the main point of Lent isn’t to give something up in order to gain something else.

We are seeking to lay hold of Someone.

The purpose of Lent is to lay hold of Christ-to use the weeks leading up to Easter to awaken the reality of Christ in our hearts. Lent is a season of preparation, cleansing, giving, serving–shifting from the inward to the outward and upward.

One of the best ways to grow in your knowledge of God and to really pursue Christ during Lent is through intentional Bible study. What aspect of God do you want to know in a fresh way? What story in the life of Christ do you want to better understand?

If you are searching for a Bible Study to go through during Lent, consider going through our Pursuing God’s Beauty: Stories from the Book of John. In six weeks, you’ll dive into the Gospel of John and see glimpses of Christ through the Scripture that you may have missed before. The sixth week of the study-which lines up with Easter-looks at the resurrection of Jesus Christ and raises the question, do we really believe?

No matter where you are on your spiritual journey our hope and prayer for you this year is that you’ll consider Lent as a time to intentionally pursue God and get to know him like you never have before.

What has your experience with Lent been like?

*Photo courtesy of here

68 Comments

  1. Steve Martin
    Steve Martin on January 30, 2012 at 6:49 pm

    Great post!

    I too, look forward to Lent. I think it is a great time to rexamine ourselves to see just why He had to come and die on a cross.

    We don’t beat ourselves up, but we want to understand the gravity of the situation. We need a Savior..not a tune-up.

    I always comforted and encouraged when I find someone with a good understanding of Lent.

    Thanks, so much. And God bless.

  2. margaret
    margaret on January 31, 2012 at 6:36 am

    Steve,
    I agree–Lent is a gift in which we get to seek to lay hold of God. I am counting down the days!

  3. Courtney Cherest
    Courtney Cherest on February 4, 2012 at 9:06 am

    Hey Margaret,
    It’s funny to me how I read “The Sacred Echo” years ago and I still tend to that verbiage in my daily life! SOOO, whenever I sense a new echo, I’m always drawn to want to tell you! 🙂
    My current echo from the God of Heaven: KILL YOUR PRIDE!
    Pray for me, please, that I would clothe myself with humility and humble myself under the mighty hand of God. I was struck with this thought the other day: how TRAGIC to think about a person missing out on ALL that God has for them simply because they couldn’t GET OVER THEMSELVES!! Oh God, let me GET OVER MYSELF!!

  4. margaret
    margaret on February 4, 2012 at 10:41 am

    Courtney,
    I love the way God speaks to us–so life giving and transforming and powerful. I pray God will not just kill pride like a weed, but that he will continue to grow the beauty and life of God in your heart–sprouting his goodness, kindness, joy, delight, and awe! Huge hug to you this day!

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