It’s the
best kept secret of the American church. Perhaps the church world-wide, but I
think it’s less well known in the west. After all, we are affluent, and we
can’t help that.
But I’d like
to extol the benefits of fasting in this blog. As someone who has fasted once a
week (and occasionally longer) for 44 years, I’d like to share with you what
I’ve found.
1) Fasting humbles the soul. There’s no
doubt about it! Whether it’s calming fights with your spouse, or just enabling
you to stay out of strife in general, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been
spared the hardship that comes from verbal altercations. After all, James 4:
1-6 points out that our fights come from our pride. I attribute our happy
marriage in part to the fasting that has helped me keep my mouth shut often!
2) We are rich. But we’re to be poor in
spirit. (Matt. 5:3). We have no concept of the poverty that much of the rest of
the world has to live with. But, we can identify with them and with Christ’s
sacrifice, if we fast from food for a time.
3) It makes us grateful! Anyone can see
that abstaining from something will bring thankfulness when we have it again.
I’ve found this to be true with food, rather than living nearly full most of
the time.
4) It allows us to hear from God more
clearly. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4) One thing that got me fasting from the
beginning was a teaching that I heard on just this topic. When we are satiated,
say at Christmas, it is hard to hear the Lord clearly. We become kind of dull
of hearing, and God’s word seems distant. When we fast, however, we can
perceive His word to us clearly and immediately. “Then you will call, and the
Lord will answer; you will cry for help and He will say: ‘Here am I.”’ (Is.
58:9)
5) It brings us out of our
self-centeredness. All humans are self-focused, some due to their upbringing
are more so than others. But all are! When we practice fasting, not like the
Pharisees who did their fasting to be noticed by people, (Matt. 6:16-18) but
really humbling ourselves, we get set free from that self-focus. This goes with
my first point about avoiding fights, but it also can bring us creative ideas about
things to do for others too.
Now I used
to think that fasting had to be 40 days to count, or at least a week. But, one
day a week can do wonders for you. After all, the Bible says to rest 1 in 7
days, (Ex. 20:8), so why not rest your digestive system as well? I’m convinced
that many health ailments that afflict Americans could be bright under control
of we would fast.
Isaiah
58:6-12 is a beautiful passage that is filled with promises about people who
fast God’s way. Some of them are: loosing the chains of injustice, opportunities
to share with the poor and lost, healing, answered prayer, absence of
confusion, and guidance from God. We’ll be like a “well-watered garden”, we’ll
flourish, and be called “Repairer of the Broken-down Walls.” I don’t know about
you, but I want and need those things! Doubtless there’s more embedded in that
passage, I am just giving you a tiny taste.
But watch
out! The enemy is very sly. You will (I repeat you will) fall into the
pharisaical attitude of self-righteousness. Again and again. “If I give my body
to be burned, but have not love…” (I Cor.13: 3) So we repent over and over, and
recognize that we are fallen, broken people who need a savior.
Some people
say “Well, what about fasting from TV, or video games, or desserts, or some
such thing?” All I can say about these things is great, go ahead and abstain
from them. But don’t think that that will have the same effect as abstaining
from food. There’s something about denying yourself this very basic need that
speaks to our flesh in an irrefutable way. “Everything is permissible for me,
but I will not be mastered by anything. Food is for the body and the body is
for food, but God will destroy them both.” (I Cor. 6:12,13)
Telling your
body that it is not in control is a heady experience. We understand that the
flesh wars against the spirit (Romans 6 & 7). The one you feed the most
will win! Starve the flesh by fasting and praying, seeking God for a time. But
again, beware! Col.2:16-23 warns us that there is not spiritual value in fasting
for its own sake.
People fast
for health reasons. It brings the appetite under control, and there are a host
of other secular reasons to fast. How about us, can we not benefit spiritually
and in our bodies?
Some
practical points:
*Don’t
expect to lose weight if you fast; when you are done fasting, you will eat
more. But it can help you maintain your present weight, not gain. (Unless you cut out sugar completely for a season; then you should take off a few pounds.)
*You’ll find
that you forget things when you fast. Not too difficult to deal with, just inconvenient.
* You can
still exercise. Only in 21st century America do we believe that we
might die if we have to go a few hours without food! I’ve fasted 3 days and run
2 ½ miles effortlessly. Repeat this to yourself “ I WILL NOT DIE!” Sometimes
you can even exercise more easily without the burden of having to digest all
that food.
* You might
get headaches and/or slight nausea. I usually tough it out, and they go away.
Or take a little pain killer. If you are on a medication that needs to be taken
with food, then for gosh sakes, eat something. Recently I’ve taken to drinking
one caffeinated drink so I don’t get a headache when I fast.
* There are
still benefits when you fail. Even a little fast if you are seeking the Lord,
can help. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail! (Notice I said when, not if)
Jesus
assumed that all his followers would fast. (Matt 6:16-18), and it is practiced
throughout Acts. Throughout church history, many saints and people fasted. In
modern times people such as Jim Elliot and Bill Bright fasted regularly.
It truly humbles the soul, and who among us
doesn’t need humbling now and then?
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