But would a person want to do that? Perhaps someone who felt that their life was out of order, or who felt that they were not getting very far in living as a Christian, might seek that kind of help. Others might feel that every year they like to put in a special effort and enjoy a higher kind of spiritual life.
Others would not be able to distinguish one season from another because every day is a day that they live by the Spirit, by faith, seeking God’s forgiveness, and living in the light of his Word. They would say that every day is Lent.
Our church year has this advantage: it allows us to pay special attention to some of the big events in God’s dealings with humans. And the period leading up to Good Friday and Easter Day is one of the greatest. Because the death and resurrection of Christ stand at the centre of our faith.
The traditions that focus on ourselves may be quite unhelpful. What marvellous impact is made when people take time to reflect on what God has done in Christ? To remember again how God has loved us, why Christ died for us, how he has promised to raise us from the dead on the last day. These truths can cleanse the most sinful heart, they can bring back the most wayward, they can straighten out and stir up the most slack.
I encourage you to count down to Easter by reading again what the Bible says about the death and resurrection of Jesus, and let it speak to your heart.
Dale