For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-13
A better commentary on the Lent season can’t be found beyond these verses in Titus. The Apostle Paul so completely captures in this brief statement what we hope to accomplish in the forty day leading up to Easter.
Changes in our hearts begin with grace. We can’t change on our own, or even desire to want to change. The Holy Spirit must do this work for us. The grace of God is a gift to us that not only transforms our hearts but also offers us salvation. The goal of this transformation is stated in verse 12. It gives us the strength to reject ungodliness and worldly passions. This happens gradually, in increments, freeing us to live self-controlled, upright lives.
This letter to Titus also captures the concept of waiting. Lent is a time to wait. In a way, we know what is coming with the celebration of Easter Sunday: resurrection, glory, and new life. And yet, it hasn’t happened yet. So we wait. While we wait, we do the work of confession and of making space in our lives for God.
The most common way this is done during the season of Lent is through fasting. Before you gag and walk away, let me make quick note of the benefits of fasting. First, fasting helps us set healthy limits on our compulsions and our appetites. These things can easily roam out of control so that whatever we consume starts to consume us, and whatever we possess starts to possess us. Fasting reintroduces increasing levels of strength and freedom into our lives.
Second, fasting refines our spiritual awareness. In the book Living the Church Year Bobbi Gross says, “Fasting is to deny ourselves food for a time in order to more vividly know Jesus as the source of our sustenance and being.”
There are a variety of ways to fast. The following list includes ideas from Bobbi Gross’s book I quoted, and also from Marjorie Thompson’s book Soul Feast:
For the season of Lent, consider abstaining from
- Media by not going to movies, watching TV, or listening to the radio
- Eating over packaged, over processed foods
- Eating desserts, candy, and sweets
- Shopping sprees
- Overscheduling
- Compulsive dieting
- Judging others
In addition to the practices related to eating, this list includes a variety of ways to fast. These ways create space in our lives for prayer which leads to a greater capacity to receive God’s spirit.
The Lent season began only last Wednesday, so it isn’t too late to choose a spiritual practice to try for the next five weeks. Which type of fast will you choose?
