I grew up thinking Lent was a Catholic-only thing (I was raised Nazarene). As an adult, I know that’s not entirely true. I’ve never observed the season of Lent, but I do believe it is a beautiful tradition. So, as someone who is just dipping their toe into Lent for real for the first time - What should I give up for Lent? Should it be something that I usually “can’t live without?” How do you choose? I know plenty of Catholics who give up chocolate or beer and call it enough…Is it?
Lent is a period of fasting, moderation, and self-denial traditionally observed by Catholics and some Protestant denominations. It begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday. The length of the Lenten fast was established in the fourth century as 46 days (40 days, not counting Sundays). During Lent, participants eat sparingly or give up a particular food or habit. It’s not uncommon for people to give up smoking during Lent, or to swear off watching television or eating candy or telling lies. It’s six weeks of self-discipline.
Lent began as a way for Catholics to remind themselves of the value of repentance. The austerity of the Lenten season was seen as similar to how people in the Old Testament fasted and repented in sackcloth and ashes (Esther 4:1-3; Jeremiah 6:26; Daniel 9:3).
However, over the centuries Lenten observances have developed a much more “sacramental” value. Many Catholics believe that giving something up for Lent is a way to attain God’s blessing. But the Bible teaches that grace cannot be earned; grace is, by definition, a gift. Also, Jesus taught that fasting should be done discreetly: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen” (Matthew 6:16–18a). Jesus’ command to “wash your face” seems to conflict with the practice of rubbing ashes on one’s face on Ash Wednesday.
Fasting can be a good thing, and God is pleased when we repent of sinful habits. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with setting aside some time to focus on Jesus’ death and resurrection. However, repenting of sin is something we should be doing every day of the year, not just for the 46 days of Lent.
If a Christian wishes to observe Lent, he or she is free to do so. The key is to focus on repenting of sin and consecrating oneself to God. Lent should not be a time of boasting of one’s sacrifice or trying to earn God’s favor or increasing His love. God’s love for us could not be any greater than it already is.
Strictly speaking, Lent as a formal forty day season is not prescribed anywhere in Scripture. The Bible does not command believers to observe a fixed forty day fasting period leading up to Easter. What we do find in Scripture are principles and patterns that inspired later liturgical observances.
The number forty recurs repeatedly in the Bible as a time of testing, preparation, or judgment: Moses on Mount Sinai (~Exodus 24:18), Elijah’s journey (~1 Kings 19:8), the Israelites wandering in the wilderness (~Numbers 14:33–34), and Jesus’ fast in the wilderness (~Matthew 4:1–2). These passages establish the symbolic significance of forty as a period of spiritual preparation or trial.
Fasting itself is biblical. Examples include David fasting in repentance (~2 Samuel 12:16), Anna praying and fasting in the temple (~Luke 2:37), and Paul describing fasting as part of the early church’s spiritual discipline (~Acts 13:2–3). The Bible encourages believers to fast with humility, seeking God’s guidance, and not as a mere ritual (~Matthew 6:16–18).
So while Lent is rooted in biblical principles, repentance, fasting, preparation for Christ’s suffering and resurrection-it is a church imposed structure rather than a direct biblical mandate. It is a tradition built upon biblical motifs, not a divinely commanded observance.
J.
I grew up with Lent and the practice of giving something up for this season, but last year was the first year I took ownership of it and truly fasted from something for the whole season. My advice would be to choose something that is tough to give up but not so tough that you won’t make it through the whole 40 days. For example, I thought about giving up coffee last year, but then quickly realized I would fail at that mostly due to the season of life I’m in with two littles and not a lot of sleep haha. So instead I choose sweets/sugar. This turned out to be the perfect thing for me to start with—it was challenging and even felt a little daunting at first, but it was the good kind of challenge that pushed me to dig deep and connect my desire for something sweet to my spiritual walk. Every time I wanted to reach for candy, a cookie, a sweet drink, etc. my thoughts turned to God instead. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about God more than during that season! It turned out to be so rich! And now that I know how God showed up when I took that leap of faith, I’m actually kind of looking forward to giving something up this year. It’s like exercise for your spiritual muscles haha.
The early church never practiced lent. It came about after Christianity became the legal religion of Rome. At that time many new practices came into the Christian faith and that is where we get trees and lights at Christmas or bunnies and chocolate at Easter. Easter itself is a pagan name not used by the early Christians. Neither of these major holidays of today were something that was celebrated in a particular way in the first centuries following Jesus death and resurrection.
I don’t think giving up something for lent, for the sake of giving up something, has any purpose. It doesn’t win points with God and could lead to a sense of pride for the one who manages it. I don’t see it as here or there - something we must do or something we must avoid. If a person does decide to do ‘lent’ than its a heart matter and God looks at the heart. If what we’re giving up draws us closer to God, then so be it. I don’t see how not eating chocolate draws us closer to God. It’s a personal decision and the reason for acknowledging lent is more important than what we give up.
I agree that observing Lent is not a biblical command or necessary for the Christian life. Fasting or giving something up can often become performance or works-based.
However, if undertaken with the desire of wanting to grow closer to God and experience him more, then I think he will always honor that. For me, giving something up has made me aware of where I’m really placing my desires and reliance and has redirected those things to God, as I’ve been reminded of his presence and love every time I’ve craved something else to distract or fulfill me.
Just saw this article on Crosswalk