What Lent Means to Me

By: Jenifer Metzger

Today begins Lent. Growing up, I always believed Lent (and Advent) to be something that was a religious tradition for a specific religion. It wasn't until about six years ago when I began to research that I found out what it meant.

Basically, Lent is the forty days leading up to Resurrection Day when Christians prepare for Easter. For many, it includes giving up something-a certain food or habit for example.

For me, Lent is different. My friend Elizabeth Stewart of Just Following Jesus sums up exactly how I feel when she said, "I don’t observe Lent by religious tradition or as a means to get God’s attention or favor. I use this season of Lent as a way to refocus on the wondrous truth that the Creator of Heaven and Earth loved us so much that He gave everything in order to redeem us, to restore the relationship with Him that sin destroyed and to adopt us as His own."

To me Lent is a time of focusing on what Jesus came to this earth to do. What He did for you and me is nothing short of incredible. Mind-boggling even. To think of all Jesus left in Heaven, of all He endured on this earth, His death, and His resurrection, and He did it all so that we could one day live in Heaven with Him. He even did it knowing it wasn't a sure thing, that we would be given a choice to accept what He did or not. I cannot even put into words how amazing that is.

While I do not attend an Ash Wednesday service, nor do I always give up something for forty days, I do observe Lent. I spend forty days studying the Word, digging a little deeper than I normally do. I spend forty days thinking on the goodness of God and all Jesus has done for me. I spend forty days examining my heart and relationship with God, repenting and seeking to grow closer to Him. And this year, I am spending forty days using the Write the Word Lent journal.

Whether you observe Lent in the traditional sense or not, I do encourage you just take time in these next forty days leading to Easter Sunday to focus on what Jesus came to do for you.

It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.