During Lent (the 40 days prior to Easter) many Christians follow the practice of giving up something and taking the time to reflect on Jesus' sacrifice of Himself for us.

One group of middle-class believers in a church in the UK decided to live on the minimum wage. Their goal was to identify with those who live on little, to learn the joy of giving, to invite God to change their attitude toward money, and to challenge others in their church to do the same. For their study they chose Isaiah 58.

Afterward, one of the leaders of the group said they learned an important lesson. Living on less "makes you realize just how much you really can give away. It makes you look at what you normally give and realize that it is far from being sacrificial."

What they learned agrees with God's idea of what fasting and sacrificial living are all about. The Lord said to Israel, "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: . . . Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out?" (Isaiah 58:6-7). God was chiding His people because their fasting had become an empty ritual with no concern for others.

Let's give sacrificially to others—not just during Lent but all year long.
  — Anne Cetas