Here are 10 other creative ways to fast for Lent 2020.
- Set limits on your screen time and/or your media use. You might give up movies and television entirely or just at certain times of the day or week. You could say no screen time after 8 p.m. Or give up the social media app you use the most. Then, use the time you would have otherwise spent on a screen in prayer and studying the Word.
- Sacrifice your sleep by getting up earlier and spending time with the Lord if this is not already a habit for you. Or stop hitting the snooze button if you find yourself doing that a lot.
- Give away your possessions, money or words. Work on decluttering your house by donating three (or any number you choose) items per day. Leave an extravagant tip when you go out to eat. Give out three compliments per day.
- Along the idea of complimenting others, what if you wrote someone a note every day during Lent to encourage them? Or just tell them a quality they have that you’re thankful for?
- Speaking of words, has using swear words become a habit for you? Consider giving up swearing and put a quarter in a jar every time you slip up. Then donate that money to your church.
- Maybe you don’t want to follow the Church of England’s challenge entirely, but you could still give up buying bottled water or give up all single-use plastic items. Are there any other habits you could change in order to help the environment, like making sure you turn the lights off when you leave a room?
- How is your spending? Consider giving up buying anything you do not absolutely need. Other variations on this suggestion are giving up online shopping or using credit cards.
- What if you chose a certain amount of time to be silent every day during Lent? Even if it’s only 10 minutes, being silent is a valuable practice in our busy, noisy culture.
- Maybe no vices come to mind per se, but do you tend to be a loud person? Or do you have a habit of interrupting others before they are done speaking? Are you always running late, or do you tend to speed while driving? Consider challenging yourself in those areas.
- Is there anything else that is like a “feast” for you that you could give up to honor the Lord during Lent? One woman recognized how important music was to her and decided to give it up in favor of silence or listening to podcasts.
Whatever you choose to deny yourself for Lent 2020, we hope this season proves to be a rich time of renewal and deeper communion with the Lord!
