Lenten Sacrifice

Lenten Sacrifice: Is it for You or God?

“To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

Proverbs 21:3

Sacrifice:   noun

1. The destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else
2. An act of offering to a deity something precious

We are now in the season of Lent when many Christians remember and honor the sacrifice that Jesus made for all humanity on the cross on Good Friday. It is also 40 days long (excluding Sundays) which commemorates Jesus’ 40 day journey in the wilderness and his refusal to give in to Satan and his worldly temptations. In ancient times the season of Lent also included fasting for 40 days as Jesus did in the wilderness.  It also included giving of alms, prayer and flagellation (self-wounding to represent penance), which a few people still practice today.

During this time today many Christians traditionally give up (sacrifice) something they value or enjoy in order to honor His sacrifice and to prepare themselves for His coming death, resurrection and victory over Satan and the grave on Easter Sunday. Honoring God this way can be a wonderful demonstration of faith and commitment to following Jesus with one’s life.

But like so many Christian practices, these Lenten sacrifices can end up becoming traditions instead of acts of spiritual commitment and focus.  It perplexes me why so many Christians who practice this “temporary” sacrifice during Lent to honor God go right back to enjoying them after Lent is over. Does sacrificing food or things that we enjoy for 40 days actually draw us closer to God? Are we using this time of sacrifice to spend more time in prayer or the Word? Or does it simply make us feel better about resisting our temptations for a few weeks and then we go back to life as usual where we really haven’t changed?

The purpose of sacrifice is to enable us to let go of the things that we hold more dearly in our hearts than God. But if we go back to them have we truly made a sacrifice for God? Or are we only making a temporary gesture to assuage our own guilt for the things we do that we know we shouldn’t do?  The message of John the Baptist was to repent, or turn away from our sinful behaviors (Matthew 3:1-2). Jesus also began His ministry by preaching repentance (Matthew 4:17). In other words, the call of Christ is to give up living for earthly desires and exchange them for the will of God (1 Peter 4:2).

Like all spiritual practices it comes down to the motivation in our hearts. Are we doing this for God or are we just doing this for ourselves? Jesus said in Matthew  6:17-18, “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Jesus reminds us that when we fast or sacrifice for Him we do not need to let others know or announce it in a way that brings attention on ourselves.  The Bible also tells us in Proverbs 21:3 that “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”  And in 1 Samuel 15:22 it says that “To obey is better than sacrifice.”

So rather than making a temporary sacrifice to try to honor or please God, isn’t it more important that we obey His commands each and every day and sacrifice (give up) our sins to Him instead?

A friend of mine, Pastor Phil Ressler, recently wrote a book entitled “40 Things to Give Up for Lent” (https://philressler.com/40-things-to-give-up-for-lent-the-list/).  In His book he challenges Christians to give up 40 things that separate us from God, including fear, impatience, guilt, hatred, worry, etc., and instead focus on developing Godly desires. Rather than sacrificing something you value to God during Lent, how about taking on some quality of God instead?

I do not want anyone to miss my point here. It is not about ending the practice of Lenten sacrifice. My point is that if we are going to sacrifice something for God, let it be our pride, our selfishness and our sinfulness, not our life’s enjoyments. And let our sacrifice be every day and not just during Lent. And let our focus be on drawing closer to God, not on demonstrating our self-discipline to do without something we enjoy.

Paul writes to the church in Rome in Romans 12:1 and says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – which is your spiritual worship.” He said this to encourage them to live lives dedicated to God. That encouragement also applies to us today!

We truly worship God when we are willing to sacrifice our human desires for His will and to submit our lives to Him daily and unconditionally.

So let us honor God this Lenten season by giving up the sin in our lives “that so easily entangles us” (Hebrews 12:1) so that we can “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith!” (Hebrews 12:2) Let us focus on prayer and being obedient to His commands instead!