A Creative Lenten Fast That Leads to Giving

This video is part of our Lenten Creative Devotions series.

One of the spiritual disciplines traditionally associated with Lent is fasting. But one of the shrtcomings of fasting from food is that it can easily become a diet, and we lose sight of why we’re fasting.

Here’s what God has to say about fasting that pleases Him:

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.”
Isaiah 58:6-8

The point of a fast is to love other people, not to get more “brownie points” with God.

One creative way to fast during Lent is to stop eating out at restaurants or ordering take-out, and give that money toward others nutritional needs.

So take the money you would have spent on takeout or eating out, put it in a “Giving Jar,” and eat a simple meal at home. And pray on behalf of those who hunger, asking God to use you in showing His love in practical ways.

This might mean planning ahead, like packing a lunch instead of eating out with coworkers. As you’re prepping your lunch, be in prayer with those who you can serve with your “Giving Jar:”

buy a gift card to a local grocery store and give it to a family in need in your community
donate to a reputable charity that alleviates (see below)
buy extra groceries to donate to your local foodbank

Fasting is not sin management, or a diet, or a way of manipulating God, but an invitation to experience more of God’s sufficiency in our own lives, while partnering with Him to bring His love to others.

Your Next Step

Whether or not you’re watching this during Lent, talk to God about adopting a Giving Jar in your family for the next few weeks. Is this something He would have you do?