Simplicity, not suffering, is the point of fasting in Lent. The Lord delights in our freedom, not our pain, yet invites us to fast in order to be truly free. Therefore, we simplify our lives to realize just how much time is spent on our own pleasures, the joy and indulgence of our senses. When we simplify our meals or turn off the screens, we create margin, space in which we are now free to hear God in redemptive ways. Simplicity in Lent requires intentionality, yet it is always an invitation born out of God’s love for you and the life you gain, never focusing solely on that which is lost.

Inhabit (a devotional journal for Lent by Dwell)