As a leader in his church and community Courage Igene enjoys discussing various religious topics and learning about the experiences of others.
Lent is the period of 40 days, starting on Ash Wednesday, which precedes Easter. There are a variety of people who observe Lent, from Catholics and Lutherans, to those who are looking to strengthen their connection with God.
Courage Igene reminds his church and community that the 40 days is symbolic of the time Jesus spent wandering the wilderness. In those 40 days, he did not eat, but he did face repeated temptation from Satan. He overcame each temptation that the Devil put in front of him. There are other references in the Bible to religious figures facing a period of 40 days, such as Moses on Mount Sinai, the 40 days and nights of rain that caused the flood, and the 40 days and nights it took Elijah to travel to Mount Horeb. Those are just a few of the occurrences of 40 Courage Igene has noted throughout the Bible.
Traditionally, Lent was observed with a period of fasting, prayer, and festivities. There were three practices that were to be approached with renewed vigor over Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, which is simply justice to neighbors.
In these modern times, though, people who observe Lent instead give up a vice for the 40 days of Lent and in many cases, they invest the time or money they will be saving from giving up their vice in a charity. Courage Igene always encourages others to give back whenever they can.
When people choose what to give up for 40 days, the idea is that they choose something which is difficult to give up. If it was easy everyone would do it, and certainly Jesus did not have an easy time when he spent 40 days in the wilderness, nor did he have an easy time when he was crucified.
Expert Courage Igene understands the purpose of sacrificing something that you enjoy, or that means a great deal to you as a way refocus your attention on your connection with God. This 40 days is a period where you shun the distractions in your life, and spend time in prayer and supplication.
While every religious denomination will approach their Lent differently, the majority of Christians will take extra time from their day to spend time in the Bible and enjoy a daily devotion. This time of devotion will include prayer and time spent with God, building the bond. Granted, devout Christians will hold devotions every day, rather than just the 40 days of lent, many believers take this opportunity to re-strengthen their connection with God.
Courage Igene understands that we live in a busy world, and it’s easy to lose focus of our beliefs. We are often distracted by fleeting things, however Lent offers up a reminder of what God has done for each of us each and every day.
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