I Don't Usually Do This!
I figured out what I'm giving up for Lent!
This is the first year that I’ve decided what to give up for Lent before Ash Wednesday!
I’m giving up my New Year’s resolutions! (all of them!)
Wait. No, I don’t think that counts.
Lent has a way of sneaking up on us, arriving just when we’re starting to settle into the new year. It interrupts our routines, gently (or not so gently) reminding us that seasons change—not just on the calendar, but in our souls.
Life comes in seasons. There are times of growth, times of struggle, times of abundance, and times of pruning. Lent is a season of pruning. It’s an invitation to step back, take an honest look within, and let God reveal the things that need to go—the distractions, the grudges, the habits, the fears—that keep us from being our best selves in Him.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall …
In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus asks:
“Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?” (Luke 6:41)
Ouch. We all have “wooden beams” in our vision, blocking us from seeing ourselves clearly. It’s easy to critique the faults of others while ignoring the clutter in our own souls. Lent calls us to examine our lives, to see the ways we resist God’s grace, and to ask—what is keeping me from becoming the person God created me to be?
Maybe it’s an old wound that we refuse to let heal.
Maybe it’s a pattern of negativity or self-doubt.
Maybe it’s a reliance on distractions—food, screens, busyness—to numb the deeper work God wants to do in us.
Lent invites us to expose those imperfections before God—not to be condemned, but to be healed. It’s not about guilt. It’s about growth.
Giving Up vs. Taking On
Lent isn’t just about what we lose—it’s about what we gain.
Give up fear, take on trust.
Give up distractions, take on stillness.
Give up excuses, take on responsibility.
Give up self-reliance, take on surrender to God.
Fasting and sacrifice help clear the noise so we can listen to what God is really saying. Sometimes the hardest thing to give up is control—our plans, our timelines, our expectations. But when we loosen our grip, we find that God’s mercy is waiting to fill the empty spaces.
A Season of Mercy
Lent isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being honest.
God doesn’t ask us to clean ourselves up before we come to Him. He asks us to come as we are—flaws, failures, and all—and trust in His mercy.
As the prophet Joel reminds us:
“Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, rich in kindness.” (Joel 2:13)
No matter where you’ve been, no matter what burdens you carry, this season is for you. A fresh start. A deeper healing. A chance to trade the weight of sin for the freedom of grace.
Easter is Coming
At the end of Lent, the world will burst into Resurrection glory. The darkness will give way to light. Death will give way to life.
Let’s prepare our hearts well for that day. Let’s clear out the clutter, make space for God, and let His mercy transform us.
And if you must give up chocolate, just remember—Easter is coming, and so is the biggest basket of chocolate you've ever seen.
Wishing you a blessed and life-giving Lent. Let’s walk this season together.