Observing Lent has gained popularity among Christians, even though not from a liturgical background. While there are numerous devotionals available to read during Lent, Damiani fills a gap. He's written both a guide and a meditation on the various practices associated with this season in the church calendar. A book of preparation, to be read before the season begins.

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Aaron talks about lent and its place in the Christian faith. He took the time to show the research made on the history of lent, why it has a firm place in Christianity and ways Christians can actively participant in the practice of giving up food and other things for lent.

Rating: 3.5/5

Favourite Quote: "Character is a slowly forming thing. You can no more force character on someone than you can force a tree to produce fruit when it isn’t ready to do so.

The person has to choose, again and again, to develop the moral muscle and skills which will shape and form the fully flourishing character."

Aaron Damiani makes a case for Lent in his new book, The Good of Giving Up. In this one, he seeks to persuade readers from all denominations that Lent is a good thing, could be a GREAT thing even. The first part of this one focuses on the history of Lent, and, a little of the why you should observe it. The second part of this one focuses on the how--specifically how an individual can observe Lent. The third and final part of this one is how to lead others--your family, your church, etc--through Lent. He does admit that Lent can be misunderstood and abused. But he urges that just because people have the wrong ideas about Lent isn't a good reason to abandon this centuries old practice.

This one had some good insights:

In theory the gospel is compelling, but in reality we would rather pay attention to whatever Netflix is offering. We are so full on the junk food of our culture that we cannot metabolize the feast on our Easter plates.
We were made to look upward and outward with our imaginations to behold the beauty of God in Christ.
We are called to worship, but we have chosen to fantasize. We have exchanged God’s exhilarating and expansive story for lesser stories shaped by our fears, pain, and unhealthy desires.

Here are a few reasons why he wants you to celebrate Lent:

The desert is where God called his people to make them holy. We might assume that the wilderness is a place of exile and isolation, and it certainly can be that. But in the story of redemption, the wilderness has always been a sacred rendezvous spot for God and His beloved sons and daughters. In the wilderness, we detox from our false attachments and renew our sacred, primal bond with our loving Father.
We enter the wilderness of Lent because the gospel is true. We do not go into the wilderness to find God. We enter the wilderness because God has found us. He has delivered us, blessed us, and called us His own. The desolation and quiet gives us space to ponder the great salvation we have already witnessed. Even our struggles and failures in the wilderness teach us the truth of the gospel.
Lent, then is a profound picture of the Christian journey. It stands between our deliverance and our home. It is a time of faith and longing, hope and expectation. No, we are not ready for Easter. Not yet. But with the world behind us and the cross before us, we go repenting and rejoicing one faltering step at a time.
We need Lent because repentance is not just a prayer. It is a posture. We need time and space to become repentant people, to experience the depths of Jesus’ forgiveness. Our default posture is to use Jesus’ forgiveness like we use the car wash: as a fast, convenient solution to a surface problem. The truth is that the cleansing process needs to go much deeper, like a thorough spring cleaning. It cannot be rushed. Lent provides forty days for us to behold Christ and His cross, not only to understand it more deeply, but also to cast our soul’s toxic waste upon it. I invite you to imagine Lent as a season when Jesus heals and restores what sin has destroyed in our souls, families, and congregations. The sermons, silence, and ancient prayers of confession during Lent all teach us a posture of gospel repentance.

Much of this book could be considered Lent for beginners. He explains just about everything including what it is and what it isn't. It is a very practical book in many ways.

A partial fast is distinct from repentance of sin. Do not take a partial fast from using pornography or sleeping with your significant other. Rather, confess your sin to God, receive Christ’s forgiveness, and take drastic, intentional steps to remove it permanently from your life. The same is true for any other sin, such as gluttony, racism, violent behavior, slander, envy, or deceit. A partial fast may help you repent of sin, but it is a different path altogether. A partial fast is not an addiction treatment program. If you feel powerless to break a dependence on alcohol, sexual activity, gambling, drugs, overeating, or any other vice, seek professional help from a licensed counselor and an addiction recovery program in your church or community. Also seek support from your local pastor and church family. There is hope! The spiritual benefits of observing Lent with the people of God will be a support and encouragement as you walk the road of recovery.

If this is your first time observing Lent, keep it simple and make a short list of one or two abstentions that will challenge you without crushing you. Consider getting input from a mentor or pastor to ensure you set realistic goals. If you have already practiced the partial fast and are ready for more, then consider adding other items to your list.

Did Aaron Damiani convince me? Not really. Oh, I am glad to know that his reasons for celebrating Lent seem wholesome enough--biblical enough. To focus on Christ and WORSHIP him. Not to boast to anyone and everyone, HEY LOOK AT ME, I'M GIVING UP SOMETHING FOR LENT!

Here's where we agree, I think: Drawing near to God is good. Seeking the LORD is good. Spending time in prayer and Bible reading is wonderful. Applying what you read to your life is great. Give of yourself--not just financially but your time and resources. Live in God's presence and REJOICE in the resurrection.

Here's where we disagree, I think: The focus of Lent seems to be on the 'giving up' something. I don't think that is where the focus should be. I think the focus should be on what you're gaining. It isn't the giving up of something that makes for a richer spiritual life. It is the realizing that Jesus is BETTER than anything you have going in your life. The wrong way to do Lent is to give up something without gaining anything in return, or to gain something merely temporarily. The right way to do Lent--to do life--is to make Jesus your ONE THING and let that love of Christ rearrange your daily schedule forever more.

When we practice Lent in the spirit of Jesus, it's not about making God happy, looking spiritual, or repeating empty traditions. It's not a power move or a forced march. Jesus and the cloud of witnesses show us that Lent is about Jesus - and, therefore about love. The Holy Spirit uses fasting, prayer, and generosity to satisfy us with God's Fatherly love. As a result we are moved to share that love with others. And that is history worth repeating.

What a great text and study on Lent. I in the past have had mixed feelings about Lent but this text has clearly shown how biblical Lent really is and how beneficial it is for our spiritual maturity. The history of Lent is important for us to grasp as it will help us see the value of Lent for our heart and how we love.

The text comes in the parts. The Case for Lent, The Path for Lent. and Leading others through Lent. The Path for Lent was helpful in that it discussed how we may fail with good intentions. What was encouraging was that failure always leads to the Gospel and the Gospel is centered around Lent. I for one have the mind-set that I will fail to deny something or anything and in doing so, miss the work of Christ in changing my heart to be more like His.

Another aspect of the text that I found encouraging is Liturgy. I now attend a church that practices Liturgy. This is how the author explains the beauty of Liturgy. Liturgy means "the work of the people", and Christian liturgy is a series of scripturally based prayers that proclaim the gospel and help us participate in it. It exposes our need for the Lord and the beauty of redemption.

Some of the quotes that I found encouraging

When we give way to excess, injustice follows close behind.

The ambient culture has confused the meaning of freedom, which no doubt affects the way many of us understand it. In the Scriptures, Jesus is the Lord who sets us free to love God and neighbor. Fasting helps us participate in that freedom. But in the modern West, pleasure is the Lord who is said to set us free to consume our neighbor and God for that matter.

When we confess our sin and receive forgiveness, we experience both sides of the gospel.


Lent is much more than giving up desires but revealing our greatest need. I highly recommend this book for all Christians.

A Special Thank You to Moody Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I just could not get into this book. I thought it would be more of a history than a guide. I am not going to review this book as I don't think I am the audience it is meant for.

Even though we're not yet in the Lenten season (it starts 1st March for 2017), I thought it would be a good idea to read this. The Good of Giving Up is a book on what Lent is, why one should practice it, how to practice it, as well as how you can lead others in Lent.

The author is Anglican, but the precepts are applicable to all denominations, even if the applications may differ from Church to Church. Since I'm Methodist, I do know what Lent is. My Church celebrates Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We also encourage each other to do a partial fast, but I don't recall having an in-depth lesson on the meaning of Lent and it's relation to the Church.

If I were to summarise part 1, the explanation of Lent and why we should practice it, it would go like this: Lent is a way for us to prepare ourselves for the feasting and rejoicing of Easter: as the book puts it:
We are so full on the junk food of our culture that we cannot metabolise the feast on our Easter plates.
When we learn to focus our attention on our Heavenly Father and not on the issues of this world, the meaning of Easter becomes stronger. The author paraphrases Lord of the Rings when he says that on Easter:
[E]verything sad was coming untrue. Death itself had been turned on itself. Satan and his demons had run into the mousetrap of the cross, forfeiting their treats. And our Hero was making good on all His promises, sending His Spirit to renew the face of the earth, giving gifts as He ascended to His rightful throne.
Part 2 is on how we can practice Lent. Lent is practiced through fasting, prayer and generosity (also almsgiving). The fast can be a partial or a whole fast, and there is concrete advice for the prayer and almsgiving sessions as well.

The last part, part 3, is for pastors, parents and Church leaders, and deals with how one can lead others through Lent.

I am really thankful that I read this book. I've never really practiced Lent (apart from celebrating the different days), and I realise that this is leading me further away from God. The purpose of Lent isn't to be good only for that 40 days (as the book says, we can make every Friday a 'little Lent' and every Sunday a 'little Easter'), but to help us reorientate ourselves towards God, which carries over to the next year.

I suppose it's good that I read this way before the Lenten season. It will give me time to digest all the information here and prepare myself to practice Lent next year.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

When we think of Lent and fasting it is usually in the context of high church or Roman Catholic. Damiani makes the point that Lent is not just for them but for all Christians to participate in.
First he explains the story of Lent and its importance in the Christian life, then he goes on to help us understand ways in which we could enter into the season ourselves. Then finally he gives suggestions for the family and children/youth workers to embrace the season and finally for the whole church.
In the appendix he gives reasons for the special days (Maundy Thursday, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday etc) and suggestions on how to grasp them afresh.
This is an excellent book and I felt very encouraged by Damiani to reconsider Lent and enter into the season on a lower plateau than before so I can truly embrace Easter on a high note.
I was given this book by Netgalley and this is my voluntary review.