Sacrifice

One week from today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of lent. I’m not a Catholic and I don’t follow their rituals, but I’ve always liked the idea of giving something up for a short period of time in order to concentrate on something else—in this case, spiritual things.

Temporarily giving something up adds intensity to a particular devotion. For instance, when I sing for an important occasion, I usually don’t eat certain things that might hinder the singing, even things I love. Not only am I more physically prepared, it also prepares me mentally for the task. An athlete will give things up for the Olympics coming up, again for physical reasons as well as mental focus. I heard once that former president George W. Bush gave up sugar during the Iraqi War in order to remind himself of the sacrifice others were making by fighting.

Giving something up needs to be a sacrifice. I wouldn’t give up something like Oreo cookies because I happen to seriously dislike Oreos. If I give something up, it would be something that I really like that will take a little bit of effort. On the other hand, I would never give up water or something that I need to survive.

If I am having a difficulty in my life breaking through to something—such as control of my eating or exercise, spiritual discouragement, or depression—perhaps giving up something for this period of time from Ash Wednesday to Easter will help to keep focused on facing the issue and breaking through to victory. It’s something to consider.