Twisted Christian

Questioning the Christian norm

Lenten Sacrifices

This year for Lent I gave up my “lust for gear.” I decided I would stop spending so much time dreaming about basses, amps, effects and all that other wonderful stuff that comes along with being a gear head. For those not familiar with the term, GAS or Gear Acquisition Syndrome is the more commonly known form of “lust for gear.” I would spend hours thinking about the next bass I wanted to buy, like that Custom Shop 1968 reissue Fender P bass...$2500 of pure beauty. It played like butter, and sounded like liquid smoothness pouring out of the amp. I’d dream about bigger and better amps, 1500W of pure pounding low-end coming out of an 8x10 and 2x15; enough power to make the souls of anyone standing in front of it throb. Or even the new effect that I wanted to try out, Boss’ Octaver, or a nice muff or overdrive, and maybe even some distortion. Nothing I’d actually use in any capacity with what I’m involved in, but it’s just so much fun to think about and play with.

So I gave all of that up. Most people use Lent as a time to sacrifice something that they would miss, and whenever they missed it they would think about God. This year, I realized that Lent is more than that, it is about giving up something that is getting between me and God; something that is keeping my relationship from growing. So I chose something that I spend a fair amount of time doing, and gave it up for 40 days, 40 days that are almost up.

The first couple of weeks were tough and made me realize just how much time I used to spend on my GAS. I would spend hours surfing talkbass.com; the premier forum for bass players worldwide. I would surf the classifieds, looking at the cool shit people were selling, browse the reviews for the latest amps and basses, and follow the debates about picking vs. finger-style. I would go to the music store after work some days and look at the basses and dream. I would try out some new effects pedal, and look at the massive amount of power the new amps could produce.

So with all of this free time on my hands, I realized I could start doing things I otherwise didn’t have time for. I started spending more time practicing my bass playing instead of just reading about it. I started reading more. And I started this blog. By giving up all the time I spent lusting for stuff, I found I had more time to devote to God and to learning more about my faith, and growing in Christ. It caught me off guard at first, this growth. I didn’t realize that what I had given up for Lent was actually bringing me closer to God. Sure that was the initial idea, but I didn’t actually think about it. This blog is the result of my sacrifice, and it is turning out to be a real blessing. I have started learning about new concepts and ideas. I’ve started reading cool things people have to say about the Christian faith. I’ve come to the conclusion that by spending all this time writing and reading, I am going to be a much better student when I eventually go back to school, and a much more knowledgeable pastor when I’m done.

So many good things have come from my Lenten sacrifice, and I think that is the point of Lent. It is an opportunity to grow closer to Him, and it’s so cool to see how that has happened over the past 37 days. Now the question poses itself, if we give up something for Lent that is getting between us and God, then shouldn’t we continue to sacrifice it? Shouldn’t it stop becoming a sacrifice and just become natural? For me, with all the growth that’s happened, the answer seems obvious. But does that apply to everyone? I’m not talking about those people that gave up coffee, or cheese, or some random thing that they like to use it as a reason to think of God. I’m talking about people, and sacrifices of things that are getting in the way of their relationship with Him. Shouldn’t these things be given up forever?

For example, Todd has been suffering from a porn addiction and it is getting in the way of his relationship with Christ. He decided that beginning Ash Wednesday, he would not look at any porn for 40 days. If, during Lent, Todd finds things improving due to his absence from porn, wouldn’t it make sense that he should continue this trend past the end of Lent?

It would make sense that if you have given something up for Lent that has been impeding your relationship with God that you would continue to give it up after Lent is over.

Now I’m not denying the importance of the sacrifice that others make for Lent. Those that give up things that are important to them like coffee, video games, junk food etc., if done for the right reasons, can also get also reap the benefits of growing closer to God through this sacrifice. These types of sacrifices are great for providing regular reminders that it is Lent, and that something is being sacrificed, but I don’t think they have the same long term effect that giving up something that is actually interfering with your relationship with Him, and continuing to give it up after Lent is over.

God has used Lent to teach me a lot, and I am thankful for those lessons. I am going to continue to reign in my GAS, and use that time to further my spiritual growth. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still in need of a solid 4 string and an additional 15” cab would make a wonderful addition to my rig, but I am not going to spend copious amounts of time obsessing about it, and endless hours researching something I’m not going to buy anytime soon anyway. When I do decide to make a purchase I will spend the time to do the proper research, but until then I have better things to spend my time on.

5 comments:

Rebecca vdW said...

Good for you Chris!

Pastor Andrew said...

Self control is what I learned from lent. My wife and I gave up junk of all kinds for lent. It was HARD! But now pepsi, the occasional bag of chips, everything - seems less like a 'quick grab fix of hunger' and more like a treat. I will instigate a single day a week to eating junk now rather than all week long. I feel better, look better (12 lbs in 40 days!!!) and best of all, the pocket book looks nice too!

Anonymous said...

btw - for you to say that doesn't get in the way of a person and their maker is contrarty to fasting my friend. Am I splitting hairs? Perhaps, but giving up junk food is similar to fasting on fridays (as was traditional in hebrew times to fast from thursday after supper to friday supper, and not all food, usually types of food). Also, it is typical for one to tithe the money one would have spent on the item of fasting to the church, commonly called a 'fast tithe'. anyways, belittling people who give up junk food is a blanket statement which should not be issued because folks like starla and I really have learned a lot from giving it up. A command over the most common of the 7 deadly sins in canada is of course over eating and obescity. I'd like to see you try to give up junk food of ALL kinds for 40 days and tell me the consious decision to do so is one that doesn't bring you closer to God. If you're praying every time you are reminded of lent as intended, I can promise you (not that it's a competition) that I fought junk food in the office more than one thinks about bass gear.

-Andrew

christopher said...

A Lenten sacrifice is made in observance of the 40 days/nights that Jesus spent in the desert being tempted by Satan. This was traditionally done through fasting and abstinence (from meat), and is not the same thing as the Lenten sacrifice that many Christians practice today, though many Catholics and other members of High Order churches observe both.

There is nothing, even in the Catholic Church, that says we have to give up a personal vice for Lent. It is something that has evolved over time out of the practice of fasting and abstinence, and I believe that it should involve something that is interfering with our relationship with God; be it an issue of time, morality, or whatever else. I'm saying that if we are going to make the sacrifice, why not make it something important, and since it is something important that it should be permanent.

No "belittling...blanket statement" was made, nor I am belittling anyone who has made a sacrifice for Lent. I am merely stating that giving up a particular vice and maintaining that sacrifice after Lent is over is more meaningful than just giving something up for 40 days. What you and Starla have done, by cutting junk food out of your diet for 40 days, along with continuing to give it up for the most part after Lent (or at least regulate it) is exactly what I am talking about. You didn't give something up for 40 days, only to gorge yourself on it at the first opporunity folling Lent and continue with your habits that you had prior to the sacrifice. I'm glad you took the idea of a Lenten sacrifice seriously and that it has paid off.

I do like your reference to the 7 Deadly Sins as that is something I'd like to address in a future post as it has no Biblical basis and I question it's validity as part of Christian doctrine (dogma?).

Anonymous said...

Oh baby, bring that shit on, I can argue the 7 deadly sins as being biblically valid till the cows come homw :D
-andrew