Complimentary Story
March 2026Each spring, Christians around the world enter a season of preparation. Before Easter Sunday arrives with lilies, hymns, and sunrise services, there are forty days meant for reflection. It precedes the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and its roots stretch back to the earliest centuries of the Church. That season is called Lent.
Lent, also known as Ash Wednesday, began in 2026 on February 18. Today, Lent is most strongly associated with the Roman Catholic Church. During Mass, the priest uses ashes, usually made from burned palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday, to mark a small cross on a person’s forehead, often with the blessing of “Repent, and believe.”
However, that perception isn’t fully accurate. Many Protestants do observe Lent, but this depends on the denomination. Churches that follow the traditional Christian liturgical calendar include:
• the Lutheran Church
• the Anglican Communion (including Episcopalians)
• the United Methodist Church, and
• some congregations within the US Presbyterian Church
Regardless of the church theology you choose to follow, participating in the practice of Lent is a personal choice.
Historical Perspectives on Lent
The practices of Lent trace their roots back to the earliest centuries of Christianity. By the second century, believers were already observing short fasts in preparation for the celebration of the Resurrection, which we now call Easter. In the second century, believers did not speak of “Easter.” They celebrated Pascha, derived directly from the Hebrew Pesach, meaning Passover. The earliest Christians understood the resurrection of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Passover. The English word “Easter” did not appear until centuries later. Though widely debated, it is said to be derived from Old English “Eastre,” recorded by the 8th-century historian Bede.
The word for Lent comes from lencten (or lenten), an Old English term meaning “spring” or “lengthening.” It refers to the time of year when the days start to grow longer, and in fact, the root of the word comes from a Germanic word for “long,” describing the transition from winter to spring.
Other languages reflected the older naming tradition tied to the number forty.
For example, Greek-speaking regions referred to the season as “the Forty” and Latin-speaking regions called it “the Forty Days.” English was unusual in using a word that focused on the season rather than the length of the fast. Over time, the seasonal term became a theological term of reflection and fasting.
By the fourth century, after Christianity was legalized under Constantine, the early Church emphasized the forty days of fasting as a time of preparation. The number 40 was deeply biblical:
• Moses fasted 40 days on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28).
• Israel wandered 40 years in the wilderness.
• Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness before beginning His public ministry (Matthew 4:1–2).
Early Christians seemed to understand something we have forgotten: Christ bearing our sins and conquering death becomes deeper and more personal when preceded by a period of reflection and repentance. As the days lengthen and the light increases, we prepare our hearts and minds for the most magnificent Light of all.
Why Give Something Up?
At its core, giving something up for Lent is a form of fasting. Fasting is not about punishing the body; it’s about training the will. We live in a culture of instant gratification. If we want something, we click, and it arrives. If we feel hungry, we fix something to eat or call DoorDash.
Giving up something for 40 days interrupts that pattern. When we voluntarily abstain from something we enjoy, such as desserts, television, social media, alcohol, or other negative habits, we confront our attachments. We discover what controls us.
Every craving for the item or activity we have voluntarily chosen to abstain from becomes a cue to pray. It’s less about what you choose to refrain from and more about how you practice self-control.
The Wilderness Principle
Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness were about preparation. Matthew 4 has the story of Jesus being tempted by the enemy with food, proof, and power. Each temptation appealed to appetite, pride, or ego, the very areas where we struggle the most.
Voluntary sacrifice is rehearsal for future resistance. When you say “no” now, you are building the strength to say “no” when it truly matters, such as being faced by mandatory vaccination, being imprisoned for your beliefs, or forced to show a Real ID to obtain food. This type of strength is not forged in the midst of crisis. If you cannot deny yourself in small things, how will you resist when confronted with greater demands, even survival?
Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Those who belong to Jesus have driven away the longings of the flesh, its passions, and its desires. (Galatians 5:22–23) Lent is a form of spiritual resistance training.
What If You Fail?
This may be the most important question.
• What if you give up sugar and you eat a cookie on day six?
• What if you fast from social media, and you scroll out of habit?
• What if you go out to dinner and have a glass of wine, or two?
• What if you committed to daily prayer and you miss a day... or a week?
You haven’t sinned or disappointed God. This reveals more about WHAT controls your life. It may point out things you may not be willing to otherwise admit. It humbles you and reminds you of the necessity of grace. Grace is not revoked because your will faltered. And perhaps that is the point.
Lent is not an exam. Nor is it a performance review before God. Giving up a habit during Lent or trying to create a new one (such as daily Bible reading or daily exercise) may teach you that your “willpower” alone is never enough.
If you stumble, begin again with conviction. Do it quietly. Without drama, shame, or embarrassment. You are training your heart, mind, and spirit to seek God in your weakness.
In this Age of Distraction, if you choose to participate and understand the meaning of Lent, it will slow you down and expose your dependencies. Most importantly, it prepares us to understand more deeply what Christ gave up for us. Jesus’ sacrifice is best understood by those who have walked through the trials of the wilderness. We fast not because God requires deprivation but to help us understand His Gifts more intensely.
Today’s Prayer
Dear Father, You see how easily we are distracted by the busy-ness of our lives, and You know how deeply we want more fellowship and communion with You.
We confess that our wills are weak, and our discipline is inconsistent. Teach us in this season of Lent to pray through our cravings and yearnings. Give us the conviction to let go of things we should be able to do, but struggle to release.
Strengthen our ability to say no. Give us the strength to do the daily disciplines that our body, mind, heart, and soul know are important to life here on this physical plane. Reveal any attachment that competes with You. If we stumble, keep us humble. If we grow weary during our season of transformation, give us endurance.
As Jesus endured the wilderness and emerged with conviction and determination, help us to gain greater clarity, self-control, and joy through growing closer to You. Open our hearts and minds to take in more of You and less of this world. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
