Throughout Lent you might hear people discussing what they “gave up.” This is a common practice, as it is a time meant for fasting and remembrance as Christians prepare for Easter.
From sweets to social media to complaining, people have thought of a lot of things they can give up for 40 days.
However, many Priests give homilies leading up to Lent suggesting against this. When we give up something for Lent, we make this the focal point. We complain about the loss of chocolate or the inability to SnapChat. In doing this, we lose the meaning of why we gave something up in the first place.
Fasting is meant to focus on the sacrifice Jesus made and to reflect on this. Instead of giving something up, Father Peter of Elon University instead suggests taking something on.
In his homily on Ash Wednesday he talked about the Lord’s desire to know you. Lent is the perfect time to start this relationship and dedicate yourself to building it. During the time you might be thinking about and craving whatever you gave up, you can now spend it reflecting on your relationship with God and how to improve your connection to Him.
If you already have a strong relationship and go to church weekly, try adding another service to your week. If you don’t attend as frequently, try to go weekly.
Lent is 40 days long and it only takes 21 days to build a habit. This is the perfect time to build a relationship and watch it grow beyond the days of fasting.
Christians around campus share their tips for building a better relationship in these 40 days:
1. Pray while brushing your teeth. You have to brush your teeth anyways, so connecting the two ensures you do it. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you.
2. Subscribe to a verse a day email. Flooding your inbox will help guide you for some inspiration.
3. Find a bible buddy. Having a friend do it with you will make you more accountable.
4. Reach out to one of the many clubs on campus. Between YoungLife, Campus Outreach, and Catholic Campus Ministries, there are plenty of ways to get involved.
5. Put Church in your planner. Once something is written down, you are more likely to stick to it.
6. Go to Penance. It is scary, but it will push you outside your comfort zone, strengthen your relationship with God and push you to grow and seek Him as help.
7. Don’t give up.
If you are still set on giving something up for Lent… here are a few ideas.
1. Chocolate
2. Complaining
3. Instagram
4. SnapChat
5. Meat
6. Dairy
7. Cursing