Lent is the 40 days (6 weeks) leading up to Easter that is marked on the church calendar as a time of fasting, reflection, and repentance. This is meant to be a time that draws us closer to Christ, however, the way we celebrate Lent can sometimes increase our insecurities and sense of shame.
Are you struggling with shame or feelings of unworthiness? You may need to spend less time reflecting upon your sin and much more time remembering and proclaiming God’s grace. While it’s spiritually healthy to acknowledge how and where we’ve not behaved in God-honoring ways, He doesn’t want us to feel like worthless worms. He does, however, long for us to recognize our need for our Savior, live in a state of complete dependence, and experience all the blessings that come through the sacred union made possible by the cross.
This has been God’s design since the beginning of time, reflected in the very length of Lent. Spanning 40 days, this holy celebration reminds us of the four decades during which the ancient Israelites wandered, step by step and mile by mile, through the wilderness. If you are familiar with biblical history, you might remember the incident preceding this journey – the escape from Egyptian slavery.
Scripture tells us that after four hundred years of oppression, God empowered a man named Moses to liberate His people and bring them to His place – the Promised Land. But, after sending scouts into the land, the people became scared. They saw the obstacles ahead and focused entirely on their human limitations—unable to trust the power, presence, and promises of God.
Because of their distrust, God refused to take them into Canaan and led them, instead, through the wilderness where they learned, day by day and crisis by crisis, to trust Him.
While some might see God’s response as punishment, I view it more as an act of grace. As I consider my marriage, I’m acutely aware of the pain that comes from experiencing material abundance apart from connection. Years ago, my husband and I went through a difficult period where I was blessed materially but painfully lonely, as was he. Later, after God had healed our relationship, we endured a financially difficult season where we lost almost everything and yet felt more fulfilled and at peace than we had when living in prosperity.
I assume the same would’ve been true with the ancient Israelites. Had they entered the Promised Land filled with the distrust that perpetually caused them to turn from the only One able to meet their souls’ deepest cravings, while physically free, they would’ve remained spiritually enslaved. And so, God used their desert period to help them grasp His unchanging, merciful, and loving nature, through personal experience.
The forty days of Lent also remind us of the time Jesus, God’s sinless Son, spent in the desert. Matthew 4:1-2 tells us, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” (NIV).
In what follows, Jesus overcame each of the temptations that lured Adam and Eve, the first humans, into sin. This accomplished three things. First, Christ set a clear example for us to follow when we face temptation. Second, each of His responses reveals our need for God, our source of wisdom, provision, and fulfillment. And finally, our Savior demonstrated perfect obedience, something only He, God’s sinless Son, can do. Each of these illustrations, again, reveals our need for Him and therefore drives the responsive heart to deeper dependence on and intimacy with the Lord.
Every step Christ took and every word He spoke throughout Scripture reveals powerful and tender truths regarding His nature and heart for us, His children. But during Lent, we reflect especially upon the love and mercy displayed during His final days. From when He wept over Jerusalem, knowing the people would soon chant, mercilessly, for His crucifixion, to the moment He walked out of His tomb, He proved every truth spoken by and about Him.
He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. He is also the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the World. He is the Bread of life who nourishes our souls, and the Risen Lord who made a spectacle of the forces of evil, broke the power of death, and gives life to all who trust in Him.
This is precisely what we celebrate and reflect upon during Lent. It’s important to honestly evaluate and acknowledge our sin, but it’s not healthy to become consumed with guilt and shame. To quote Jennie Allen, from her book Nothing to Prove, “We confess to remember and enjoy that we are already forgiven.” In other words, to anchor ourselves more firmly in God’s grace.
That is what we celebrate and reflect upon this Lenten season. If you are looking for an additional resource to deepen your experience, I encourage you to subscribe to the Your Daily Bible Verse Podcast. Starting February 14, on Ash Wednesday, we’ll be leading listeners through a special series titled the “Journey to the Resurrection,” during which we’ll follow Christ’s steps chronologically from the time, in John 12, where He foretold His crucifixion, to the day He rose from the dead. I’ll also be sharing short Lent devotional videos on Facebook and Instagram specifically for those who are wounded and battling shame.
This Lenten season, as we consider the symbolism behind this sacred practice, may we invite God to go deep within our souls, removing everything that hinders our relationship with Him. And may He lead us to increased trust, dependence, and life.
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Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who co-hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast and, along with a team of 6, the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and taught at writers conferences across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com.
She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.