The thing about diets is when we’re on them all we think about is food. A study by the British Nutrition Foundation showed that strict diets which cut things out cause preoccupation and cravings, filling our heads with images of the forbidden items. As soon as we tell ourselves we ‘must’ give something up, it tends to be right there at the front of our minds, crowding everything else out.
I Googled ‘Questions about Lent’ and the top answers were very telling. ‘Should I give up sugar for Lent?’ asked one person. ‘Can I have coffee?’ asked another. And most telling of all, ‘Are there cheat days in Lent?’ Hmm.
Now, I’m not suggesting we don’t abstain from a treat as part of our Lenten practice if we feel genuinely called to do so. If chocolate has to go for a month, so be it. If it’s limiting our TV viewing or having a social media free time, as I did last year, go for it. I’m not even going to suggest adding something positive in as an alternative, although that can be great.
I suspect the key thing is whatever we intentionally do, or don’t do, it’s the effect on our Christian lives that counts. Is it truly a spiritual exercise for us that prepares our hearts for Easter? Or is it more of an annual obligation we feel bound to complete?
So, if Lent finds you counting the days until you can fill up on Crème Eggs, holding your breath in a state of stress every time you pass the chocolate aisle, or if you’re involved in some complex mental maths on when it might be technically ok to sneak in a bar of Dairy Milk, perhaps take a pause. Consider whether all that is taking a huge amount of your mental energy and headspace that could be better used elsewhere.
In Lent, we prepare for the tragedy and triumph of Holy Week. We journey with Christ on his way to the cross and beyond. It’s about being present with him and for him: ‘Could you not stay awake with me…Keep alert and pray’ (Matthew 26:40-41). Easter is a starting point, not the breathless finish line for a chocolate free challenge.
It’s true that self-control is a fruit of the spirit, Paul tells us that in Galatians (Gal.5:22-23), but anything that distracts us from the main event is unhelpful. Does your Lenten practice focus you more on Jesus? That is the only question.