What are your intentions behind Lent? Having started on March 5 on Ash Wednesday, this religious season is celebrated by many students.
Lent is a 40-day long experience filled with prayer, fasting and abstinence which reflects Jesus’ fasting in the desert while He was tempted by Satan. Many Christian denominations participate in Lent, but what are their intentions behind doing so?
For some, Lent can be a time of spiritual reflection and chastity. Emma Hetzel ‘28 decided to give up using social media because it was taking too much of her time.
“My intentions with this are to use my time more wisely, grow in my faith and focus on my relationship with God. I’ve found that this has allowed me to reflect on what I consume on a daily basis,” she said.
Additionally, students have the intention to grow in their relationship with God and reflect on their own character. Sophie Lovell ‘28 expresses that since she came to college, she has become stronger spiritually.
“I intend to keep up my momentum this Lent and continue to grow in the same way after Easter. God has blessed me endlessly,” Lovell said.
When reflecting on Lent, Lovell tends to ask herself four questions to help her understand her relationship with God better: How well am I serving others around me? Am I living sacrificially, beyond the small pleasures I am fasting from? Am I praying as much as I need to be? How can I better reflect Jesus in how I live every day?
Rather than putting attention towards matters of the flesh, as the Bible puts it, Lent is a time to be guided by God’s word and resist temptation.
While these students have their focus on God, some participate in the Lenten season with the intent to simply give up something that is troubling them. For example, some give up junk food, drugs or alcohol to promote better health. But is it for God, or themselves?
There is a debate that this behavior can be inappropriate because they aren’t doing it solely for God or to honor Jesus. There is no spiritual aspect to it, just discipline. However, a counterargument to this could be that discipline still shows dedication to God because it is an exercise for growth and self denial. Resisting temptation still reflects Jesus during the 40 rough days in the desert.
In all, Lent has been a spiritual practice for ages in order to honor Jesus Christ’s journey in the desert while resisting Satan’s temptations. It is a time to show extreme devotion to God’s word and love for Him.
Lent ends on Easter, April 20, which signifies when spiritual fasting is allowed to end. Whether you participate in it for your own benefit, for God’s, or maybe a little bit of both, it’s important to remember the original intentions of this religious season.
