Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. To many, this means 40 days of giving something up, such as chocolate or social media. 

In reality, Lent is so much more than that. The season is meant to be one of reconciliation, preparation, and growth with God. 

People often give things up that don’t help them grow in their faith or as a person in general.

The three pillars of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Most people associate the season with fasting alone, but all three are of equal importance. 

This means that spending time with God, fasting from things that push you away from Him, and helping others are all things that people should be working on during Lent. 

In prayer, one must make sure to really focus on the conversation they are having with God and be as present as possible. It’s easy to get distracted and drift away in thought, so it’s important to set aside time throughout the day to just be with Him alone.

Fasting during this season is a beautiful and necessary thing, but it must be something that challenges the individual making it. It’s pointless to give something up that won’t allow you to grow as a person and get to know God in a deeper way. 

Before giving something up, think of the things that take away from your relationship with God and use that as a guide.

Last but not least, almsgiving is one of the best ways to grow during the season. The easiest way to see God is in others. By challenging yourself to go out of your way to do something kind every day or to do more community service, you’ll experience so much beauty.