Lent: A Period of Transformation

John 15:2 “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

Lent is not just about what we give up, it is about who we become

Lent is a time in which we contemplate the sacrifice Christ made for us, it’s important to remember sacrifice is not just about what we lose, it is also about making room for something greater, Christ did not only die for us, he also showed us how to become resurrected in spirit, there is an important duality at play.

Each year we choose to overcome a part of us that we associate with an inclination towards sin, or something that we see that pulls us away from the relationship with God, and we do so to mirror Jesus’ time of fasting and temptation in the desert.

After the 40 days and nights Jesus spends in the desert, he goes on to start start his ministry, and in much the same way, we too give something up for 40 days and nights, and allow that shedding to propel us forward, a refinement of our hearts and a deepening of our purpose And it’s essential we see not only what we give up, but the twofold nature of what that sacrifice shall bring us Its not just giving up chocolate, it’s a decision to instead nourish the body that we dwell in.

Its not just giving up shopping, it’s a decision to detach ourselves from the fleeting pleasures of material world and instead focus on charity, or spiritual pursuits as a source of pleasure.

We are shown that Lent is about both sacrifice and growth. 

And whatever each of us may choose, we do so together, not only for a 40 day period of penitence and reflection, but as a collective recognition of our personal development as Christians, so we may continue to grow, and show God that these sacrifices we make, no matter how small, are a symbol of our commitment to following the path that has laid before us by Christ

This is not just a time of pruning, it is also a time of planting. We strip away the things that do not bear fruit so that new life may grow within us.

Corinthians 2. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!