20 Ideas for Lent

Lent is a season of the church that precedes Easter.  It lasts 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.  Christians observe the season of Lent as a time of fasting and penitence.  It’s a time to focus on Jesus and His sacrifice for each one of us.

It’s during this season that many Christians offer their own sacrifice to the Lord.  They give up something that keeps them from focusing on Jesus.  Or some Christians decide they want to add something during Lent…something that could help bring them closer to the Lord.

Have you decided to sacrifice or add something this Lenten season, but can’t figure out what you want to do?  Or maybe your family is wanting to do something together for Lent. Below are 20 ideas for Lent (some for individuals and some for families).  Maybe one of these will stand out to you and you can give up or add this to your life for the 40 days during Lent.

Give Up Ideas

1. Television         

Maybe you could give up tv all together if that is your addiction, or perhaps you could give up some shows that you tend to watch a little too much.

2. Social Media

Are you spending more time scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, and other social media apps?  I know I waste time on that too!  Give it up for Lent.  Delete those apps from your phone and see how much time you free up.  I bet you will be amazed!

3.  Addictive Foods

What foods are you addicted to?  Sweets?  Desserts?  Sodas?  Meat?  All of these are are hard for me to live without.  I love chocolate too much!  Now, notice I didn’t say just “food”.  As I talked with the kids at church about this I heard one boy say, “I’m going to give up broccoli.  I hate broccoli!”  Don’t give up something you already dislike.  That’s not really a sacrifice.  Give up something that will be hard for you.

4.  Eating Out

If your family is like mine, and you are gone a lot of nights due to sports practices and games, then you know how easy it is to eat out.  It’s so simple and you don’t have to worry about cooking supper.  This is definitely a sacrifice if you have a busy family like I do!

5.  Negative Words

Sometimes we let bad words slip. Or we say negative things to others. If you or your kids find yourself doing this too often, give it up for Lent and replace it with more positive words!

6.  Gossip

Let’s all be honest…you know you gossip.  We all do it.  We may not do it intentionally, but we do catch ourselves talking about what others are doing, what they’re wearing, how we can’t believe their kids did that, or why they posted what they did on social media.  See if you can go 40 days without spreading one piece of juicy gossip.

7.  Frivolous Spending

Some of you are addicted to shopping (and kids can be too).  Every time you go out you have to buy something, like a new piece of jewelry, a new shirt, those new boots everyone is wearing.  Or maybe you are one of those that has to keep up with the Joneses and every time they buy something new (like a car, house, furniture), you have to buy one, too!   Try your best to avoid the shopping malls.  And if you have an addiction to using your credit card for major purchases, stick it in a Ziploc bag full of water and freeze it!  It makes it harder to get to!

8.  Tobacco

This will be a tough one for anyone who has a tobacco addiction, but if you are willing, then I know the Lord will help you through this!

9.  Alcohol

Do you love your alcoholic drinks?  You could give up drinking all together for 40 days or perhaps just cut down on the number of drinks you have during the week.

10.  Arguing

Do you find yourself getting angry at others easily or picking fights with someone for no reason at all?  Or perhaps your kids tend to fight with each other too much. Try giving up arguing with others and see how your attitude changes! I know it will be harder for your kids to do (especially with their siblings), but encourage them to get along and let go of the little things that make them angry.

11.  Complaining

Instead of finding a reason to complain about everything, give it up and replace it with something you are grateful for. This will require you to think before you speak. This will also be hard for kids to do but encourage them to find the good in all situations.

Things to Add to your Daily Life

12.  Quiet Time with God

Do you struggle with finding the time to spend with the Lord?  Consider waking up a little earlier, or carve out time in the middle of your day to spend with Him, or even use your down time in the evening to dive into His Word. For some devotional resources for your family, check out my newest book Breakfast with Jesus: 100 Devotions for Kids About the Life of Jesus. Also, if you’re wanting to dig into the Word with your family, try this 12-Month Family Scripture Challenge.

13.  Prayer

If your prayer life is lacking, commit to making time to pray every day.  Another idea is to write down your prayers to the Lord. And add in daily family prayer time!

14.  Scripture Verse Memorization

Commit to learning a new Bible verse each day or each week.  Write it down and put it where you can see it and speak it. Work with your kids in making this fun! Have them memorize it to a song or say it in a funny voice! I love this Voice Changer App that helps my church kids with memorizing Bible verses.

15.  Volunteer at Church

If you have been wanting to volunteer at church, but just haven’t gotten around to doing it, make a commitment during Lent to give of your time to help at your church. Your kids can volunteer, too!

16.  Gratitude Journal

Find a notebook to use and write down things you are thankful for each day during Lent. You can also create a Family Gratitude Journal where you can all write in things you are grateful for together as a family.

17.  Exercise

Commit to exercising during Lent.  That doesn’t have to be hard core workouts, either.  You can commit to walking every day during Lent if you want.  Just move and be active. And get your kids involved active, too!

18.  Eat Healthy

Fill your body with healthy foods instead of junk foods.  Add in vegetables and fruits to your meals each day.  Commit to being more conscious of how you eat.

19.  Encourage Others

For each day in Lent, commit to encouraging others in their faith and in their lives.  Pick a different person each day and send them encouraging notes, emails, texts, or simple gifts.  Let them know you are praying for them. This is a great exercise for kids to do, too!

20.  Rest

Isn’t this a hard one?  God commanded us to rest and many times we don’t do well at this.  Commit to getting 8 hours of sleep, or going to bed earlier than normal, or even just commit to sitting down for a few hours at home instead of running around being busy.  Just rest.

No matter what you decide to fast or sacrifice during Lent, remember to pray and ask God for His help.  I will be praying you will have the wisdom to know what to fast and the strength to do it!  May you find God in a big way this Lenten season!

What are you giving up or adding for Lent?  I would love for you to share in the comments below!