The season of Lent is almost upon us. It begins on Wednesday with Ash Wednesday and continues until Easter. The practice of fasting during Lent is not a part of every Christian church tradition. I attended Methodist churches until high school and that is where I learned about Lent. My most vivid recollection of participating is in second grade when I gave up chocolate milk.
I participate in Lent in order to draw closer to God through the practice of fasting. I replace whatever I give up with prayer. When I am reminded of the thing I am going without, it leads me to pray and thank Jesus for his faithfulness, love, and sacrifice.
In previous years I have given up non-essential food such as chocolate, non-water beverages, and all desserts. Occasionally I have added a practice to my routine such as memorizing scripture.
This year I am fasting from social media. I have found myself clicking compulsively on the icons on my phone even though I might have just been on a site a few minutes previously and have no real need to be on there. I know it may seem cliché as it has recently become common place for many to take breaks from social media. I think it will benefit me as it will definitely lead me to prayer often and, perhaps, also help me to find better ways to occupy my time. I am already a little nervous about what I might miss, but I am hoping to find that I survive.
My only real reservation about choosing a social media fast is that I use it to advertise new blog posts. However, anyone who enjoys reading my writing has the option to receive new posts via email. I will still be blogging through the season of Lent. If you don’t want to miss any new posts, please choose this option. There’s a sign up form on the right sidebar of my posts. Thanks!
Have you ever given up social media for Lent? What is the most challenging thing you’ve given up for Lent?
Leave a Reply