Ash Wednesday Selfie - Instructions for Fasting this Lent

Ash Wednesday comes every year and you see folks walking around with these little marks on their head that almost resemble a cross painted on with ash.

Perhaps you have seen this before?

I have also noticed that a number of people, upon seeing this, ask the fun question: 

"What are you giving up for lent?"

Followed by a 5 minute discussion on what both have given up and how they have done giving up different things in recent years.

As if the Lenten fast is the same thing as a New Years Resolution.

Is there a better way? If you take a #selfie on Ash Wednesday what should it look like? How should we behave toward our Lenten Fast? Why is it different from a New Years Resolution? Or is it different?


Let me point out that Lent is intended to be a season of humility and fasting. 

I really loved this line from the "Meditation" part of our Ash Wednesday worship service:

"This is the beginning of the season of Lent, a season of soul searching.  It is a time to be still and listen, for we are entering a holy time.  A time where we set aside self indulgence and our preoccupation with self satisfaction.  It is a time when we move our focus away from ourselves.  It is a time of humility and self-less-ness."

The simple taking of a #selfie is a bit self centered by its nature and should be something that we move away from in our striving to become more Christ-like. However, people still do it. There are certain aspects of Lent that you need to be careful of.

Matthew 6:1 says:

"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven."

and in Verses 16-18 of the same chapter Jesus continues teaching:

"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you"

According to these instructions an Ash Wednesday #Selfie would look more like this =>

This picture says look at me! but it doesn't say "look at how holy I am!"

Ash Wednesday begins a period of fasting not a new year and a new you. A transformation of self will hopefully take place once you encounter The Holy Spirit. However, self improvement is not the focus of fasting. 

Fasting is intended to humble us, remind us that it is God we need more than anything, and to connect deeper with God. If you are looking for self improvement that would be where your New Years resolutions come in. They are supposed to be centered on you. Fasting however is supposed to take the focus off of you.

Please do your best not to discus how righteous you are by discussing what you are fasting from or how you have done this or that in the past. Instead anytime you get the urge to talk about it or it comes up in conversation be intentional on changing the subject. At that very moment say this quick prayer:

"God let this Lenten season be about you and not about me. Forgive my selfish pride. Free me to love you and love others more deeply."

Review

• Lent is a season for fasting
• Fasting is about God
• Self improvement is about you
• Fasting should be as private as possible

Disclaimer

I understand that I am a hypocrite of all hypocrites and that this article on humility in fasting is a bit ironic coming from a personally branded blog website. I hope that the people who read understand that I do this blog not to point at myself or how I do things better but instead that I become a reflection of the image of God so that others may come to know God more intimately. That being said, if you wish to receive reflections like this straight to your inbox once a week, I encourage you to put your email address in that little box on the top right of the page. If you enjoyed my perspective on Lent please share this article with others.

I am daily trying to balance humility and evangelism. I daily fail at both. 

Grace and Peace.

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