For some it’s chocolate; for others it’s meat. For some it’s drinking; for others its smoking. For some it’s dating; for others it’s NCAA Football 2006. For some it’s something important or costly; for others it’s something insignificant or trivial. For still others it’s nothing at all.

Giving up for Lent…This tradition started over 1500 years ago and has carried on into today. In the Middle Ages, Christians would strictly observe a six-day a week fast during the season of Lent. On every day except Sunday believers would eat only one meal a day out of penance for their sins and anticipation for Easter. Nowadays, this tradition is often seen as nothing more than a second New Year’s resolution—a little promise with no strings attached. People start out with great enthusiasm, ready to give up that certain bad habit or indulgence. Soon, however, their original zeal begins to lessen. The resolution becomes a nuisance rather than a pleasure and often ends up broken. If this small sacrifice is actually kept, it is usually done reluctantly and grudgingly.

This present attitude seen in giving up for Lent reaches further than just this little tradition. It extends into our daily spiritual lives. How often have we promised God to give up that certain pet sin, but, after a few energetic days, our resolve fizzles and we return to our old sinful ways? How many times have we eagerly set out to thank God with our time, talents and treasures, but, as weeks and months go by, our service becomes a resentful duty, rather than a labor of love? As we look at hypocritical resolutions, the prophet Isaiah’s words pierce our hearts, “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”

Such insincere resolutions were nothing like the sacrifice that our God made by sending His Son. We read in Philippians 2:6-8, “[Christ Jesus] being in the very nature God…made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

This was no small, insignificant resolution. It was the most significant promise ever made. God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, would give up something more costly than any Lenten promise or man-made resolution—his holy, blameless, innocent life. And he did not break this promise. He couldn’t. The salvation of the entire world rested on his promise as the sins of the entire world rested on his shoulders; the sins of our broken promises and half-hearted thanks.

For every time we have promised God our best and not followed through, for every time we have failed to give God the first fruits of his blessings to us, and for every time we have resolved to live a pure and holy life, but fallen far short of God’s glory, Christ gave up everything: his divinity, his dignity and even his life. And even more inconceivable than the enormity of what he gave up, was that he gave everything up willingly.

Christ’s blood has washed us clean. Through faith salvation is ours. That means that we have the privilege of living our lives as living sacrifices to our Savior from sin. How do we do this? By living our lives as living sacrifices, giving up our sinful desires and giving our hearts over to doing good works out of love for our Savior.

For some it’s being dedicated laymen and laywomen; for others it’s being faithful pastors or teachers. For some it’s counseling and encouraging; for others it’s admonishing and rebuking. For some it’s training up children in the Lord, for others it’s caring for the elderly. For some it’s taking care of the sick and the poor; for others it’s going out and spreading the good news. For some it’s big, outwardly visible deeds; for others it’s quiet, unnoticed service. For some it’s many things, for others it’s a few things. For all Christians there are more than enough good works to do.

But aren’t we all still sinners? Don’t we daily slack on our good works, failing to live our new lives in Christ as proper imitators of His love? Isn’t our attitude for service all too often motivated by selfish pride and obligation, rather than a response to Christ’s saving grace?

Thanks be to God that the same blood which has purified our sinful hearts, making them blameless in His sight, also cleanses our tainted good works, making them acceptable before his holy throne. We will never be able to praise and thank God perfectly in this world, but we will one day join with all the saints and angels in a new song to our God of glorious love. In the eternal splendor of heaven, there will be no more weeping, no more sorrow and no more sin.

Giving up for Lent…this tradition’s value can certainly be debated. But that is not this devotion’s focus. The focus for this devotion, for Lent, and for our entire Christian lives is on something of unquestionable, eternal value—the willing sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This Lenten season may we ponder and reflect what our loving God gave up for Lent.

Source used: http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/newsletter/easter/lent.html

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