What to Give Up for Lent (that’s Meaningful)
What should I give up for Lent? If you’re asking yourself this right now, chances are you want your Lent to bring you closer to Jesus and feel more intentional. I want to show you how choosing to let go of comforts for Lent will develop spiritual fruit in your life.
Sometimes it’s helpful to hear what other people are led to give up for Lent in order to decide what will work best for you.
I hope what I’m sharing here today will help you decide what to give up for Lent that’s more meaningful than quitting sugar or pausing a netflix subscription. Although those are great !! I think, as Christians we can go deeper than that.
If you need a refresher about what Lent is and why it’s special, start with this blog post here It’ll help if you’re a new believer or are practicing Lent for the first time.
So we’re all on the same page, what is LENT?
Lent was started by the Christian church as a way to prepare our minds and hearts for Easter. We count the 40 days before Easter, minus every Sunday as the timing for Lent each year. It’s a time to focus on prayer (daily to be in relationship with God), fasting (especially on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays including Good Friday), and almsgiving (being of service through giving).
journal or pray - ‘am i in a place physically, emotionally, or spiritually to let go of something for lent (and do it well)’?
While there are no rules for Lent, it’s important that you first do a little self-inventory before making any decisions about what to let go of. It can be easy to get really excited about what to sacrifice for Lent only to lose steam or realize you agreed to wayyyyy more than is actually possible for you. Or, to commit to something in your mind that you don’t or won’t follow through with.
Maybe you’re a new mom or you’re caring for an ill loved one - I’d argue you’re already in a place of sacrificial love and this year, that may be enough.
Or, maybe you’re in a more quiet season of your life and your schedule is basically wide open - maybe this year you decide to take on more than letting go of sweets and step into a deeper relationship with the Lord because you have the time and emotional space to do so.
Neither of these is ‘better’ or more holy than the other! Choosing what to let go of for lent is a deeply personal choice meant to be an offering of love between you and the Lord.
what’s a lent intention? why it’s good to start with an intention for Lent
Having an intention for Lent helps you to focus down and be specific instead of feeling spread really wide (and get easily overwhelmed about all the choices you could make).
When I’m working with a Christian Life Coaching client, we always start with setting intentions. I might ask: what’s the reason you’re here today? or, what’s the purpose that brought you in for extra support? It helps the client to get beneath the surface a bit and think ok, how can I use this time really purposefully to get the most out of it?
And, we can do the exact same thing with the liturgical seasons of the Church year.
journal prompts to find your lenten intention
Having journal prompts to get you thinking about what your intention is for Lent can be helpful. Feel free to use these as a guide or create your own. Spend some quiet time with the Lord to develop your special intention for Lent.
why is Lent important to me?
what do I have the mental, spiritual, and physical strength to focus on during Lent?
what are some initial ideas of things I could let go of during Lent? make a list. which of these do I know I could commit to for the entirety of Lent?
how do I want my relationship with Jesus to grow or deepen until Easter? what do I wish was different in my spiritual, mental, emotional, physical self? what do I want to make efforts to focus on spiritually?
what are areas of sin I’m struggling with in this season of my life?
is there a spiritual discipline I’d like to re-commit to during Lent? ie. prayer, fasting, Bible study, service + giving, scripture memory, gratitude, sabbath rest, etc.
how can my desire to honor the Lord be represented by a few personal sacrifices that feel meaningful to me? What would this look like?
a look inside my lenten plan
I choose to do a number of things for Lent because it helps me to be more in touch with ALL the Lord has done for me on the cross. It helps me be more reverential and aware of what I focus on or choose to let go of. This is a time of year where I forgo certain things. Things I might enjoy, things that are non necessities.
So, yes, for me, it’s a time of year that’s focused, inward, and sacrificial. I’ll pare down and choose to be more minimalist. But I also put a focus on learning as long as that learning brings me closer to the Lord.
Generally, every Lent I make a plan that looks like this …
curate a Lenten reading list - usually 3-5 books with varying themes click to see this year’s book list (scroll midway down page)
choose ONE Bible study - this year’s is from Well Watered Women based on the fruit of the spirit
focus on ONE spiritual discipline I want to be more consistent with - it was hard to choose because I love them all. This year, I’m focusing on praying the rosary. I’ve been finding it so beautiful to focus on the mysteries of the rosary and reading those Bible passages with it.
and lastly, I choose to let go of something. This year I’m letting go of comforts. This includes a number of things (I list them below) that are helping me to be a lot more intentional about what I do, what I say, and how I am with others.
Lent is a season in the liturgical year where we can be more drawn in and pulled back. More plain. More mindful. More conservative. More practical. More grateful for all that we do get to enjoy and have and be through the freedom Christ gives us. Which is a Grace, a gift, and a blessing!
some examples of comforts to let go of (and at the least, be more mindful of) during Lent:
only buying necessities and letting go of indulgences and comforts
no sweets, candy, sugar, or foods that are celebratory
being minimal with the clothes you wear, makeup, jewelry - putting away your prettiest items for after Easter (I also wear more neutrals, keeping the happy colors til after Lent is over)
protecting your eye and ear gates from movies, TV, secular music - to stand in a posture of purity during lent can be lovely
fasting on Fridays - I won’t drink coffee, only eat 1 meal, and abstain from meat. This works for me, but do what works best for you and your health needs.
focus on prayer and repentance - ask the Lord to reveal to you the places where you need to repent and focus on being obedient and committed to deepening your trust in Jesus
slow down and be less in a rush and more kind-hearted with others - this can look like letting people go ahead in a merging lane when driving, letting someone go ahead of me in the grocery line, smiling and making eye contact with cashiers and store greeters, ask people how their days are and make time to connect and listen more closely, etc
Letting go of daily comforts during Lent is a beautiful way to be sacrificial to the Lord. He doesn’t need our sacrifice but it is a way for us to come into deeper relationship with Him by imitating his qualities of sacrifice, devotion, and love.
By letting go of our daily comforts we’re acknowledging in small ways that we can show our gratitude for what Jesus has done for our free gift of salvation.
There’s absolutely NO judgement about what you decide to let go of for Lent. It’s a personal choice. Whether it’s to not watch TV or stop eating deserts, if it’s to not wear colorful clothes or to not paint your nails, if it’s to stop ordering take-out, make meals at home (doubling the recipe and giving to your church’s meal service), if it’s to be mindful of the money you’d spend on Amazon and tithe that money instead - it’s all a beautiful choice when it’s intentional.
Each of these things helps us to make a decision. No, I’m not doing that right now. Lent is your time to let go of control and be internal with your eyes on the Lord.
a gentle caution, (please) don’t design your lenten program like this…
If you are healing from a legalistic mindset either that you were brought up in or that you’re healing from mentally - creating a huge to-do list and agenda of what you’d like to accomplish during Lent may not give you freedom, but rather more bondage. Creating all kinds of to-do’s, intentions, and reading list goals may make you feel disappointed and discouraged - focusing on failures instead of the victory of the cross.
Instead, it may be helpful for you to focus on ONE area this Lent. For example: prayer, a Lent Bible reading plan, daily repentance or prayer examen, or simply focusing on Jesus’ sacrifice. Simple is always beautiful. Especially when we are in the process of healing with the Lord.
Lastly, we don’t give up sins for lent
This can be really common when thinking about what to give up for Lent. It’s something that’s important and needs to be said!
Wanting to give up: cursing, angry outbursts that lead to broken relationships, selfishness, laziness, leaving work early (technically stealing company time), telling lies - all of these are already sins. We don’t give up sins for Lent!
Yes, absolutely we can make clear intentions and pray to the Lord about how you want to heal the root of these sorts of behaviors. Repent. Create a plan for moving forward in right relationship with God. All of these things are wonderful. But again, let’s not say I’m going to give up [ insert sin ] for Lent this year.
a prayer to memorize for lent
If you’re taking Lent slow this year or want to do one small thing it’s lovely to memorize the eastern prayer of the heart (also sometimes called the Jesus prayer).
Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
Memorize it and pray it with intention and care all through Lent. Allow yourself to pray without ceasing with these words in your heart. I’ll be doing the same.
Choosing what to let go of for Lent is a beautiful choice when we do it with purpose and intent. It only matters that what you let go of is chosen from a whole-hearted and pure place. Something you’re able to commit to. Commiting doesn’t mean you might not have a bad day or a slip up here and there. That’s OK. We’re not aiming for perfection, just humble effort.
Be willing to try. Be willing to have setbacks too.
Be strong in your conviction to mentally and spiritually let go of control in order to make more space in your life for God.
I’ll be praying for you.
