This coming Tuesday is known in some parts of our country as "Fat Tuesday." I learned about this day through an interesting experience. Several years ago my family and I lived near New Iberia, Louisiana, along the banks of the Bayou Teche. One Wednesday night, we stopped by the grocery store on the way home from midweek Bible study. As we were checking out, I saw an acquaintance, who had a black smudge across his forehead. I was not sure whether I should say something or just let it slide. Finally, I figured I would let the gentleman know about the spot on his forehead. I was being kind and practicing the "golden rule" (Mt. 7:12), when I said, "Excuse me, sir, you seemed to have brushed up against something dirty that left a spot on your forehead." He answered me angrily, "Don't you know this is Ash Wednesday!?" "Ash Wednesday," I thought, "What in the world is that?" Then I investigated.

"Ash Wednesday" Immediately Follows "Fat Tuesday"
As I investigated, I learned that "Ash Wednesday" is the day that "Lent" begins. "Lent" is a forty day period of "penitence and restraint" on bodily appetites that ends at the beginning of "Easter week." It turns out that in the case of my acquaintance, the Roman Catholic priest had to smear ashes, a sign of remorse and penitence, on the foreheads of his parishioners in order for them to be blessed in their observance of "Lent." The idea behind "Fat Tuesday" (better known as Mardi Gras) is to splurge the day before one begins the forty day period of "penitence and restraint." Thus, the celebration on Tuesday often involves all out gluttony, whether in the form of uncontrolled feasting, drunkenness, and/or sexual promiscuity. "Fat Tuesday" is another example of how false religion can influence entire generations to fulfill the lusts of their flesh in "good conscience." This is not to say that everything associated with present day Mardi Gras is sinful. There are morally neutral cultural activities. However, many in this world still live by the Mardi Gras philosophy.

A Period of "Penitence and Restraint"?
The forty days of "Lent" being set apart as a period of "penitence and restraint" is wrong for at least two reasons. First, it implies that practicing self-control is not as important at other times of the year. Such, however, could not be further from the truth. True religion teaches that self-control is to be a way of life for the Christian. Peter wrote, "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity" (2 Pet. 1:5-7). Each of these "Christian graces" is a necessary element that all Christians must possess and in which all Christians must grow throughout their entire lives. The word "temperance" means "self-control" (cf. NKJ). Self-control was (and is) to be practiced at all times, not just during a forty day period in the year! Note also that among the "fruit of the Spirit" is "temperance [self-control, NKJ]" (Gal. 5:23). Again, the "fruit of the Spirit" is to be produced all year round, not just during a forty day period. We must always live a life of self-control!

Second, "Lent" is a man-made substitution. By what authority do we reduce God's instructions for a life of self-control to only a forty day period per year? Paul addressed man-made substitution for God's instruction: "Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations-21'Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,' 22which all concern things which perish with the using-according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh" (Col. 2:20-23, NKJ). The three "do nots" were not a reference to smoking or chewing tobacco, but they were part of a philosophy (asceticism) that taught the more one denied his "flesh," the more spiritual he was. This same philosophy bred the monastic system, where "monks" would seclude themselves in monasteries. Some would literally starve themselves, poke out their eyes, and cut off their hands (and other unmentionable body parts), thinking this made them more spiritual. Paul calls this foolishness "self imposed religion...false humility, neglect of the body"! There is no substitute for converting the mind, and "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5)!

God Gives No License to Sin
The idea that it is acceptable to uncontrollably let ourselves go in fulfilling every desire of the flesh because we are about to enter into a forty day period of "penitence and restraint" flies in the face of our Lord's will. Our minds should never be focused on the lusts of the flesh, but rather our sights should be set on the "things of the Spirit" (Rom. 8:5-8 cf. Mt. 6:33; Col. 3:1-2). Given the idea behind "Fat Tuesday" (Mardi Gras), it should be of no surprise that many sins are committed during this time. However, Paul still says, "use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh" (Gal. 5:13), and Peter stills says that we must not use our liberty as a "cloke of maliciousness [vice, NKJ]" (1 Pet. 2:16). It is never right for us to do wrong (cf. Rom. 3:8)!

As with Christmas, it is not inherently sinful to participate in the cultural, non-religious aspects of Mardi Gras (as long as they do not violate God's will) such as parades, throwing and catching beads, eating "king cakes," etc., but it is always sinful to live by the lusts of the flesh, even for a day (cf. Rom. 6:1-2). Let us not think we have to "sow wild oats" before we can serve God and sow the kingdom's seed.