Why do we fast during Lent?

Today is Ash Wednesday, which means it is the first day of Lent—the forty day fast leading up to Easter.

If you come from an Evangelical background, chances are you did not really grow up observing the season of Lent. Perhaps you heard that the practice is too Catholic, or that there is little basis for it in Scripture. I’m here to dispel these myths and introduce you to the beauty that is this season of drawing near to God.

Lent is one of the oldest Christian traditions, tracing back at least to the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. This 40-day fast—which mirrors Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness after his baptism—was a time of preparation for new converts as they neared baptism come Easter. There is evidence that the practice of a pre-Easter fast was already in full swing by Nicea. Irenaus references such a fast in a letter written in the 2nd century. It wasn’t until the Reformation more than a millenia later that Protestants began to question whether or not this fast was necessary.

There are three pillars to Lent: fasting, praying, and almsgiving.

Fasting is a method of giving something up so that the space it creates can be filled by God. This is not about breaking a bad habit, going on a diet, or letting go of a “guilty pleasure.” It’s about setting aside something good so that you can recognize it as a true gift from God and more fully celebrate its goodness on the other side. The space—and the discomfort!—this fast creates in your life is intended to point you towards prayer. It’s intended to draw you closer to God through your hunger, your longing, your need.

But this fast also creates another kind of space: financial space! Historically, Christians would give the food that they were foregoing to the poor. While you might not necessarily notice much of a change in your weekly grocery bill while fasting from just one beloved item, this season is still a great time to notice your spending habits and purposefully create some discomfort by giving away more than you typically would. This almsgiving is a profound way to round out the rhythms of your Lenten fast.

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Lent is a season focused on human limitation and our need for God. It prepares us to truly celebrate and feast come Easter—but one of my favorite aspects of this is the way restriction serves as the soil for human creativity and innovation. All around the world, dishes have emerged that are particular to the fasting rhythms of a region. Fasting for the Christian is not a means to earn God’s forgiveness, but of recognizing our limitations and our reliance on God. I love that in the process we then see the creativity that emerges among humans made in the image of our Creator.

If you’re interested in digging deeper into this history, you can listen to my episode of Kitchen Meditations On Lenten Fasting.

Looking for a great way to draw closer to Jesus this Lent with your children? Our Bake with the Bible program is a great fit.