Have you ever been curious about “fasting” but it’s just not something you’ve really been taught much about? Maybe to you it sounds like a good weight loss plan? Maybe it sounds like a great way to put yourself in a perpetual bad mood?
A lot of us deep down probably think there’s something to it, but maybe we think it’s something better suited to pastors, missionaries or the really religious.
Did you know that in Matthew 6, Jesus makes the statement, “And when you fast…” Did you catch that? He didn’t say if, he said when.
Before you panic and leap over to Facebook for your daily inspiration, let’s think about the purpose of fasting and then maybe we can better understand how it can apply to us.
Are there things in your life that you would say you desire more than God? In some shape, form or fashion, if we are breathing, we are either guilty of that right this minute or we were five minutes ago or we will be later today. God knows that. He wired us. He’s even the one who gave us the ability to have desires!
The problem isn’t that we have desires (unless, of course, they are ungodly desires). The problem is when our desires for other things, people or achievements are stronger than our desire for God. Suddenly, whatever it is that we so passionately want begins to be our voice of reason and the standard by which we justify our decisions and actions.
That promotion we want or that neighborhood we want to live in or that group we want to be a part of evolves from an “innocent” and “good” desire to an obsession. Obsessions control us and anything that controls us besides God is called an idol. Eventually, we find ourselves trying to navigate life through a cloudy smog that has slowly crept in. We can even start a slow downward spiral that leads us anywhere but toward the abundant fullness God intended for us. Some of us are all too familiar with this destination and know exactly how undesirable it really is.
That’s where fasting can help us. What if you gave up something that was a part of your ordinary, everyday life and then, every time that “sacrifice” crossed your mind, you prayed? Maybe your prayer would be for God to replace the desire that is controlling you with a desire for Him? Your prayer could be a million different things. The point is that whatever you give up (or fast from) is ultimately like a tether to prayer.
We are all at different places spiritually. God didn’t ask us to get our act together before we come to Him. In fact, His specialty is taking those of us who are the MOST dysfunctional and transforming us to give our lives real purpose. So, what if you gave this fasting thing a little consideration? Could it possibly enrich your experience with God and cause your relationship with Him to be a little more intimate or His voice to be a little more clear? Are you at a place in your life where you can recognize how much you need God? Are you at a place where the power of God at work in your life is worth whatever it takes - even fasting? If so, you’re in a GREAT place!
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Maybe it’s social media, or maybe it’s tv. Take the time today to pray and listen for what God wants you to put aside in order to spend more time with him.
Challenge: Discover what God wants you to fast from this week. Be that tv, social media, or even a meal a day, and fast from it for the rest of the week.