The 40 Days of Lent: More Than Just Giving Something Up
Every year, as Ash Wednesday comes and goes, we enter into the season of Lent—40 days set aside for reflection, sacrifice, and spiritual renewal. For many, Lent immediately brings to mind the idea of giving something up—chocolate, coffee, social media, or some other habit we’ve come to rely on. And while sacrifice can be a meaningful part of this season, I’ve come to realize that Lent is about so much more than just what we let go of. It’s about what we make room for.
Lent is an invitation. An invitation to pause, to reflect, to refocus. It’s a call to deepen our relationship with God, to strengthen our connections with others, and to realign our hearts with what truly matters. It’s not just about subtracting things from our lives; it’s about making space for growth, grace, and transformation.
So often, we go through life on autopilot—moving from one thing to the next, filling our schedules, our minds, and even our hearts with distractions. Lent challenges us to step back and ask: What is truly filling my life? Am I making space for the things that bring me closer to God and others, or am I weighed down by things that don’t matter?
Instead of just focusing on what we’re giving up, what if we focused on what we’re giving in to? What if, instead of simply fasting from something, we fasted for something?
Maybe it’s choosing to give more time to prayer and reflection instead of rushing through the day. Maybe it’s being more present in our relationships, putting down our phones, and listening more intentionally. Maybe it’s practicing gratitude instead of dwelling on what we lack. Maybe it’s choosing to forgive, to let go of resentment, and to love more freely.
Lent is a season of preparation. It mirrors the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting and praying, resisting temptation, and preparing for His ministry. It wasn’t just about deprivation—it was about strengthening His spirit for what was to come. In the same way, these 40 days are an opportunity for us to prepare our hearts, to draw closer to God, and to embrace the kind of renewal that lasts beyond Easter Sunday.
At its core, Lent is about transformation. It’s about breaking free from the habits that keep us distant from God and one another. It’s about learning to trust in something bigger than ourselves. It’s about realizing that we don’t have to walk this journey alone.
But transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process—a daily decision to move closer to God, to step away from distractions, and to let faith guide us in ways we may not have expected. Maybe these 40 days are a reminder that God is always working in us, even when we don’t see it. Maybe the real sacrifice isn’t about food, or entertainment, or any material thing—it’s about surrender. It’s about giving up control, about trusting that even in the wilderness, even in our struggles, even in our doubts, God is present, shaping us into who we are meant to be.
Lent also teaches us the power of community. Jesus didn’t walk His journey alone, and neither should we. Maybe these 40 days are an opportunity to reach out—to check in on a friend who is struggling, to forgive someone we’ve been distant from, to extend kindness in ways big and small. Maybe part of our Lenten journey is learning to see Christ in those around us—to recognize that in serving others, we are drawing closer to Him.
So, as we move through this season, I challenge myself—and you—to see Lent as more than just a time of restriction. Let’s see it as a time of intention. A time to choose faith over fear, connection over isolation, and love over indifference. A time to open our hearts, not just for 40 days, but for a lifetime.
Because at the end of these 40 days, we arrive at the greatest reminder of all: that love conquers everything. That grace is greater than our failures. That death does not have the final word.
What will you make room for this Lent?
