Take up Something Positive for Lent
Giving something up for Lent is a Christian practice that is supposed to remind us of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. But that sacrifice was to show us how much God loves us. So I bet God would be OK if, instead of giving something up for Lent, we used the Lenten season to take up something positive.
This year I’m going find something positive that I can add to my daily routine during Lent. Want to join me? Here are some ideas:
- Do one act of kindness every day. Cami Walker gave one thing away for 29 days in a row, so you might want to join the 29-Day Giving Challenge to get you started (and for some ideas!).
- Make a Lenten gratitude journal by writing about one thing you are grateful for every day.
- Pick one of your strengths and find a way to use it every day. A friend of mine likes photography and at one point she set a goal to take one good picture every day.
- Contact a friend or loved one every day. Use Lent as a time to reconnect with people you haven’t heard from in a while. You can send a short email asking how they are or pick up the phone and call the ones who are especially dear to you.
- Read a Lenten devotion every day.
- Find time to meditate every day. Ten to 15 minutes counts!
- Do some form of exercise every day. It could be a short walk around the block or doing sit-ups while you watch American Idol, but it has to be every day!
- Make sure you get 8 hours of sleep every night. You’ll have to be careful to stop pinning photos to Pinterest in time to get to bed at least 8 hours before you have to wake up.
- Eat veggies every day. I have suggested to my children that they should take up eating at least one vegetable every day. I think they’d rather give something up!
I’d love to hear from you to know what you decide to take up for Lent.
Beth: I love your suggestion about doing something “positive” during Lent as opposed to thinking of these next 40 days a negative and sacrafice. I am going to think what positive thing I can do everyday during Lent. Wonderful suggestion!
Thanks, Keely! Best of luck!
Hi Beth,
I agree with you about doing something positive for Lent.
My family participates in The Lenten Positive Acts Challenge – at http://www.LentenPositiveActs.com
For the 47 days of Lent, you perform positive acts each day – starting with 1 per day in the 1st wk, 2 per day in the 2nd wk, a so on – until you’re performing 7 each day during the last week of Lent. Last year was the 1st Challenge, and there were 617 people participating, performing positive acts each day during Lent – in 8 countries, and 44 states of the US. They brought over 116,000 positive acts into the world during Lent!
What a great idea to fill the days of Lent with acts of kindness! I love it!
This will be the last year my son will be home every night before he goes to college. I’ve done this years ago and plan to do again this Lenten season. I pack my kids lunch daily (they’re 18 and almost 16) and I stick a note inside reminding them of a reason I love them. I think it’s easy to say I love you but having something tangible that they can look back on is a nice reminder.