What I am doing for Lent: reLENTless ACT:S of Sacrifice

I always get about a week away from the beginning of Lent not knowing what I will fast from or what I will replace it with. You see, for many, the journey of Lent ends with what they fast from. But when Jesus fasted from food for 40 days and 40 nights He was sustained by God. If we expect to be sustained, and more to grow, then we need to fill in what is missing with God. (Reading His Word, Praying, etc)

A few days ago I saw a tweet by World Vision about a Lent Challenge they were doing called reLENTless ACT:S of Sacrifice. I thought I would check it out to see if it would give me any ideas. And it turns out it gave me THE idea for my Lent fast this year.

The ACT:S of Sacrifice Lent Challenge by World Vision offers an opportunity not only to grow in Christ but to become more like Him!

It adds an element that I had never considered making part of my Lent fast. And that element is helping those who are in need: widows, orphans, the poor, the needy, the hungry. For example: I could give up my pedicures and use the money I save to feed the hungry or clothe the poor. That’s not what I am doing, but that gives you the idea.

I prayed about it. And then I received our first challenge via email:

reLENTless ACT:S of Sacrifice: CHALLENGE #1:

Read Romans 12:1-2 then to prepare for Lent define what it means to sacrifice and ask yourself “what are you willing to sacrifice?”

DEFINE SACRIFICE:

Dictionary.com offers several definitions for the word – but this one most closely represented the type of sacrifice we are talking about:

the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.

Romans 12:1-2 says this:

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So the question becomes not WHAT can I sacrifice but what sacrifice will allow me to be an acceptable living sacrifice that pleases God?

I prayed some more and found these verses:

Proverbs 19:15:

“Laziness casts into a deep sleep,
And an idle man will suffer hunger.”

Proverbs 20:13:

“Do not love sleep, or you will become poor;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food”

Proverbs 31:15 – describing the Excellent Wife who pleases the Lord in how she tends to her first and primary ministry: her family:

“She rises also while it is still night…”

What will I sacrifice for the reLENTless ACT:S of Sacrifice this Lent?

I will sacrifice my sleep.

In the next 6 weeks I will wake up 15 minutes earlier each week, ending with a final wake-up time of 5:15am. I will use the time I have awake to study God’s word, to pray, to renew my mind, to honor Him, worship Him and find the right ways to daily live my life as a sacrifice to Him.

Because I will use the morning hours when I am awake to do these things, I will also have more time available during the rest of the day when I normally would have done so. I will use that time to honor God by serving those who are in need. I don’t know what that is going to look like exactly, but I look forward to sharing with you what God shows me.

So, that’s what I am doing for Lent. What are you doing? Share it with me in the comments section!!