Ash Wednesday, the begining of Lent

I am not Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist or Episcopal. Mostly, I was raised in conservative churches, Southern Baptist, General Baptist, Mennonite Brethren. I don't think I even really knew about Lent before I was in college, but it caught my attention at that point, and became a personal observance for me. I am introducing my eldest son to the concept this year.
As a Christian it should always be my goal and purpose to be ever becoming more like Christ, taking on more of His nature and putting off more of my inborn nature.
Lent is a time to remember Christ's time here on earth, how He lived, what He gave up by becoming flesh, and the trials He suffered. He did it all for us. What a glorious God! He knew we would need a Savior from the foundations of the world. He planned ahead to provide us our Savior. He allows us to choose if we want to be saved. Jesus came to earth, fully God and fully man to provide payment for our sins and the only viable substitution for our death penalty. A perfect holy God chose to take on human form so we could spend eternity with Him...Wow!



Lent, the 40 day period prior to Resurrection Sunday(secularly referred to as Easter) was a common observance for Christians prior to the Protestant reformation. It is a time for the Christian to purposefully align himself more with Christ. Common modern day observances of Lent generally include fasting from something, like food - chocolate, sugar, meat, food during daylight hours, or sometimes actions or attitudes - internet use, television, secular music, worry/anxiousness, self determination, pride. The point of all of this self denial is to cause the Christian to go to God in prayer for strength, and replace the previous normal with a new or deeper lever of reliance and submission to God. Since one's spiritual life is between them and God, with Christ as the intercessor there is no necessity to go to a special church service and have an ash cross marked on one's forehead. Simply pray and commit these days between now and Resurrection Sunday to Christ, then pray for strength to keep your commitment.
Lent is not a time for physical self improvement (though many forms of fasting do have that result) but rather a time to purpose to grow and improve your spiritual life.
Prayerfully consider the observance of Lent this year(even if you are a few days late in starting) it is truly a blessing.

Joy