3 Ways to figure out what sacrifices to offer up during Lent

Most of the time when we think about the sacrifices we will offer up during Lent, we are the ones who make the ultimate choice.

While that does make sense, it is possible to let others decide the kind of sacrifices we will offer up to God.

Here are three alternatives that can help us have an even more fruitful Lent.

Holy Heroes points out that "Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the Devil." This prompted them to create a special novena to the Holy Spirit, asking the Holy Spirit which sacrifices to choose for Lent.

It certainly makes sense that the first person we would ask would be God, and since the Holy Spirit was with Jesus in the desert, we too can let the Holy Spirit guide our Lenten observance.

Another simple way to take the weight of choosing a sacrifice out of our hands is to ask a trusted spiritual advisor.

This could be a spiritual director, confessor, or even your local parish priest.

Whomever you ask, they can often have a keen spiritual sense of what we may need and can provide an idea that can really benefit our spiritual lives.

One alternative that may be helpful is to ask your spouse, or a trusted friend, what you should give up for Lent.

Since they have an outsider's perspective, they can often see those areas of our lives where we have certain attachments.

Provided your spouse is acting in a spirit of charity, asking them for ideas can be a fruitful exercise.

In the end, however you figure out your Lenten sacrifice, the key is to be intentional about it.

So often we can simply do what we have always done without thinking about doing something new and challenging.

Lent should be a time a great spiritual renewal, a time when we can reorient our lives to God.

We are all in need of change, whether we admit it or not.

We may not always like to do something extra, or to perform a sacrifice that hurts, but we need to remember that we are offering it up to God. He will smile upon anything we do out of love for him.