The Biblical Significance of Lent: Forty Days of Purpose

Confession. I love chocolate. Cakes, cookies, Easter chocolate, you name it. And every spring, when I head to the grocery store my heart starts to flutter when I see those Cadbury Mini Eggs stocked on the shelves.

Not the ones that are filled with the sweet creamy stuff...those are Cadbury Creme Eggs (which I'll gladly eat). But I mean the small milk chocolate eggs that are in the crispy sugary shell. Oh boy, my mouth is literally watering.

And so my season of Lent used to look like this. I’d pick something I liked (chocolate is a go-to sacrifice), give it up for a few weeks, and feel pretty good about myself. Then come Easter Sunday, it was the day for indulgence and gluttony. And perhaps a massive tummy ache.

Is that the purpose of Lent? Is it a 40-day willpower challenge? Is it a religious diet?

While I’m no theologian, I now see Lent as one of the most spiritually rich seasons in the entire Christian calendar.

Lent is the 40-day period leading up to Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday.

If you look at the calendar and count all of the days, you might be a little confused. I sure was! That’s because Sundays aren't counted in those 40 days. Each Sunday represents a mini-Easter, a built-in weekly reminder of what you're walking toward.

The word "Lent" itself comes from the Old English word lencten, meaning spring. So even the name carries the idea of new beginnings and growth.

Lent is a time for self-reflection where we as Christians confess our failings and resolve to live a more godly life that’s focused on Jesus’ teachings.

This is the basis for the entire season. Jesus didn't randomly wander into the wilderness, He was led by the Spirit. It was all part of God’s purposeful plan for Jesus’ preparation for His public ministry.

What a reframe for me. Instead of viewing Lent as something to survive, it’s a Spirit-led invitation into a period of intentional preparation for His ministry.

Here's where I think most people, (including me!), only scratch the surface. Because Lent isn't just about giving something up. It's built on three pillars: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. And each one is doing something specific in us if we focus on it.

It was never really about the chocolate! Fasting during Lent means voluntarily stepping back from something (e.g., food, social media, a habit) as a physical expression of our desire for God over the comforts of this world.

The whole point is making room. Rather than merely eliminating something you enjoy, you're creating space for God to fill.

So for years I was giving up chocolate for Lent like it was a New Year's resolution. But that's not fasting. That's more like dieting but hitting a religious checkmark. But now I see it as fasting to draw me toward God.

God doesn't want my performance, He wants my heart. It’s a call for genuine transformation. Not something I do to look spiritually disciplined to those around me. "Look at how committed I am because I gave up <<fill in the blank>>!"

Am I truly returning to God, or am I just checking a box? Hmmmm...

Prayer fills that space. When you give something up, you create empty space in your day. And that space is the whole point of fasting! It's meant to be filled with prayer.

Lent is a season of intensified prayer. More personal devotion, more time in Scripture.

Through prayer, I can have an honest conversation with God and connect. And sometimes connection means getting really honest and really still.

What a great verse to convey that honest brokenness. Being broken and honest before God and praying for forgiveness and genuine transformation. Please God, make something new in me.

This is where our sacrifice turns outward. And honestly, the pillar I neglect the most.

Almsgiving is giving to those in need. It reflects Jesus’ own teachings on compassion and generosity. Sure, it can be money. But it can also be time, attention, a phone call, a meal…an act of forgiveness.

The point is that our Lenten practice eventually turns outward toward others.

God is essentially saying that He’s not looking for us to skip a meal and feel spiritual about it. He wants our sacrifice to produce love and generosity for others.

True fasting has hands and feet. It goes somewhere. That's the version of Lent I want to practice.

Every day of prayer, every act of fasting, every moment of giving, culminates in Holy Week. And finally, Easter Sunday, which celebrates Jesus’ resurrection.

That's the whole journey! Lent isn't suffering for the sake of suffering (like me not having chocolate for several weeks).

Lent is walking the road Jesus walked so that when Easter morning arrives, it means something. The celebration of the resurrection is so much more impactful when you've spent 40 days sitting with the weight of what our eternal salvation cost.

I think back to how I used to dutifully avoid the candy aisle and how amazing I felt. Well done, I resisted temptation! Woohoo for me!

Lent is 40 days to slow down, make space, and let God do something real in our hearts.

It was never about the chocolate.