Forty Days for a Lifetime: Lent’s Lasting Impact

Last week, I reflected on the reality of Lent and the many practices that help us draw closer to Jesus. Through fasting, prayer, giving, and serving others, we can step away from worldly distractions and desires, focusing our hearts on the Lord.

This week, I want to explore the deeper question: Why do we celebrate Lent? To begin, let me share a simple illustration. Picture someone you know well—perhaps yourself—carrying a heavy backpack filled with stones. Each stone represents burdens like pride or anger. Along the way, this person meets a guide who helps them release the stones, one by one. With each step, the load lightens, and by the journey’s end, their heart is free, ready to embrace a new beginning. Lent, much like this journey, is a season of reflection and release. It invites us to let go of what weighs us down so we can walk more fully in the grace and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

At the heart of Lent are three powerful words: repentance, renewal, and preparation. These concepts define not just the Lenten season but our daily walk with God.

Repentance begins with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, leading us to recognize our sin, feel genuine regret, and turn away from it. Lent offers us a unique opportunity to detach from the worldly distractions that pull us away from God. Today’s world is filled with temptations that attempt to sweep us along in its current. But as Christians, we stand on a firm foundation in Jesus Christ—built through engaging with God’s Word, connecting with Him in prayer, and worshiping Him through praise, music, the arts, and the way we live our lives.

The question is: Are we willing to invest time and energy into nurturing our relationship with God? If not, why not begin today? Each day is a new gift, overflowing with God’s mercy. Lent provides the perfect time to turn from our failures and sin, redirecting our hearts toward God’s love, grace, and forgiveness. Repentance brings hope, for in turning to Him, we discover a freedom that renews and prepares us to fully embrace the transformative power of His resurrection.

The second word of Lent is renewal. Imagine a rechargeable battery. Over time, as it powers other devices, it drains and eventually dies if not recharged with energy. Our walk with Jesus is much the same. We need constant renewal from God, which begins in our daily life’s journey.

Each day brings its own challenges and opportunities, and because every day is unique, we need God’s fresh strength to meet it. Yesterday’s strength isn’t enough for today’s walk. We need a fresh anointing every day. God desires to renew us continually, offering us what we need to face today’s journey.

Paul captures this truth beautifully in 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NASB): “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.” While the world around us may be unraveling and our bodies aging, God renews our spirits daily, restoring us as though we are in the prime of life.

This Lent, allow God to lead you into renewal. Let Him reveal new ways to strengthen and restore your spirit, helping you face life’s challenges with fresh grace and courage.

The third word of Lent is preparation. Lent is a beautiful yet solemn season that reveals our shortcomings but also offers profound hope. Through God’s grace and mercy, our sins can be removed from us completely. Psalm 103:12 (NASB) expresses this truth so vividly: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.”

To grasp the depth of this verse, consider this: if you travel north, you’ll eventually start heading south. But if you head east, you’ll never reach west unless you intentionally turn around. This illustrates the boundless nature of God’s mercy—an infinite separation from our sins and an unfathomable wellspring of His grace.

So, how do we respond? We prepare our hearts by running into God’s loving embrace, allowing Him to reveal the things that separate us from Him. Once we surrender those burdens, His mercy can flood our souls. Lent calls us to this preparation, so that when Easter arrives, we can fully celebrate its hope and joy with hearts made pure and right before God.

In closing, I challenge you this Lent to read Psalm 51 daily until Good Friday. Let its words lead you in repentance, renewal, and preparation. Let this sacred season become more than a temporary tradition—use it as an opportunity to build lasting habits that bring you closer to God, not just for 40 days, but for a lifetime.

As you walk with Him, allow Him to lift the burdens of sin, regret, shame, and guilt from your heart. Picture the freedom and grace that await when your heart is unburdened. His arms are open, ready to welcome, transform, and renew your spirit.

May this Lent be a season where you experience God’s transformative power like never before, as He shapes you into His image. Then, as you celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, may it be with a heart that is forever changed.

The question remains: are you willing to pursue Him? His arms are open wide, ready to receive you!