Why 40 Days?

The season of Lent spans a 40 day period beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending the Saturday before Easter. Now, if you're astute about the calendar, you may realize that there are more than 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter! That's because the 6 Sundays that occur during this time are not counted. (That's why you may hear a reference to the Sundays in Lent, rather than the Sundays of Lent.)

40 is also just a very significant number in biblical literature. For instance, scriptures tells us that Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness struggling with temptation, before the Great Flood it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years, etc. What I also find significant is that most personal trainers, psychologists, and coaches will tell you that it takes between 30 and 40 days (give or take a few) to "re-train" yourself in a new habit. So, if you decide to eat healthier, or start exercising, or commit to floss your teeth every day, it takes somewhere around 40 days to really get that routine ingrained in your life. So when we commit to a spiritual habit for 40 days, we may actually be able to integrate that into ourselves in a meaningful and significant way.

Next time, I'll talk about some of the things that people "give up" or "take on" for Lent, and how they can be excellent tools for the transformation of our lives.