So I Did A Three Day Fast

My journey

So yeah I’m kind of crazy, but I decided to start this past week doing a three day fast. Below is kind of like my journal/thinking-out-loud about it. Enjoy!

Day 1: since it’s a work day and because I didn’t plan ahead, I did eat eggs for breakfast. Walked a good 45 minutes today at Riverwalk, around lunchtime. It was humid, so I sweated much more than I wanted. Was very busy with work so didn’t notice missing lunch much. Around 4pm, I started thinking a lot about dinner, but was determined not to give in. Coming home to pizza, I did crave it, but ended up drinking some tea without sugar. In jest, I sniffed the pizza so much I told the kids it’s like I just ate the thing. They looked at my like I was crazy…

Well, I did this three day fast mainly as an experiment because I never did one before. I know many Christians do it, and while I know I’m judging here, I honestly don’t see any non-self-serving reason to do it (as I think about myself). My impression has been that many do it in hopes that God will reciprocate in someway to a prayer they have, or that their sacrifice will move God. And I know you’re judging me now, but it always appeared to me to be this self-righteous, look-at-me-I’m-better-than-that-Christian-so-God-loves-me-more, thing to do. I guess I just don’t believe fasting is some mechanism that will move God to act, but I never gave it much thought until recently so we’ll see if I’m wrong.

Timothy Keller points out again and again in his preaching that religious people say things like “Of course I’m a Christian”…and that underneath is a pernicious idea that they have somehow earned the favor of God by their obedience and faithfulness.

Knowing my own heart and knowing how I could easily think God is pleased by my fasting, I decided to do this for purely selfish, experimental reasons. Some of it has to do with a recent article about the benefits to the immune system, which is actually quite remarkable. There is a slight thought to weight loss, but as a nurse I know about the physiology of fasting enough to know better. There is also a curiosity behind why Paul fasted for three days following his conversion. But mostly I’m doing it because I just want to see if I can do it, how I’ll feel afterwards, learn more about fasting and myself, and perhaps as a set-up for future three day fasts…and, well, because I’m just sick like that! I also have been weighing doing a once a month three day fast, kind of like a monthly reset/focus on God..but we’ll see..

While I did this first fast for purely selfish reasons, I can’t deny that this past week God has been speaking to me through a series of messages I’ve been listening to, and books read. The underlying theme has been: freedom, grace, and repentance. While I won’t get into all that here, I will say I went into this first day of fasting with this thought seared into my mind, that I know God was impressing upon me: stay hid in Christ.

Lately the Holy Spirit has been revealing to me just how sinful I am. Like David felt his sins, I was prompted to feel my sins today: my sins are ever before me. When the Spirit reveals my sins, I consider that God’s mercy. God, I’m finding, is pleased to reveal His grace and mercy is enough to cover even my worst sin — that one I don’t see how God possibly could because I just can’t seem to stop doing it/or thinking about it.

The thing God has been driving home is this: there is nothing in me that I can offer God that is acceptable..even those things I have such good intentions about. There is nothing about me that is good in his eyes, and wow do I really get that lately. The only thing I can offer God is my sin. I give him that and I have been finding that His covering (Christ) is more than sufficient. In fact, God is pressing upon me that it’s not about the sin in my life, but about this amazing covering provided in Christ.

Well all that was going on this first day, and every time I saw sin creep into my mind, I thought about how I am covered by Christ. I am hid with Christ. I was thinking how fasting is not so much about trying to move God in some way, but about me realizing how desperate I am for His covering, and how often I try to clothe myself. Fasting, as you know, is like a time of dying (you’re starving yourself for pete sake!), but it’s not as a sacrifice to God. It’s a dying that reveals we are indeed already profoundly dead and so in need of His mercy and covering.

Fasting, I think, is more about facilitating this huge reality check with God..That is the stuff of repentance. You see who you are, who God is, your sin, His mercy. Repentance isn’t so much turning from sin as it is turning toward Christ for his covering. It’s this transfer of trust away from self-justification towards grace-justification. I think that was part of what was going in Paul’s three day fast after his conversion. Fasting is a time of deep repentence and recall of our new identities in Christ.

Day two: Didn’t sleep too well. Tossing and turning a lot. Was fine by morning, but really waned around 11-2pm. I ended up not walking like I normally do around lunch time as a result. I made sure I drank plenty of water. Still no bowel movement, like I was anticipating. My stomach hasn’t been making as many grumbling noises as I thought either. By dinner I was really wanting food again, but I resisted.

Along with this fast, I planned on staying off Facebook for the most part. In the past, I cut the cord to internet when doing a digital fast, but this time I decided I wanted to try and discipline myself not to check it nearly as often or post as often. After listening to a great message in the afternoon, and later a book in the evening, I really felt like sharing some thoughts with friends, but I didn’t. I’m sure some who see all my posts are glad, because some days I can post more heavily than others. ☺

I did actually wake up this morning with “my sins before me.” Again, I am considering this God’s mercy, because as I’ve been realizing more and more, my sin creates a bridge to his grace. If I think I’m not a sinner, I have effectively burned this bridge. But instead of dwelling on how wicked I am today, and really feeling my sin like I did yesterday, I simply reminded myself that I am hid in Christ and moved on. I know I didn’t set out to do this fast for primarily spiritual reasons, but let’s face it, I’m a spiritual person, so I can’t help it.

Day three: Was a miserable night. I tossed and turned and didn’t feel like I got much sleep at all. Felt tingling in my extremities, and when I woke up I wasn’t sure if I’d pass out while walking down the steps. At several points in the day I had a bad headache. I really wanted to eat something, but I was taking comfort in knowing I’d probably feel good about myself if I stick to what I set out to do. I’m very much looking forward to dinner tonight, which I know isn’t quite a 3 day fast, but it’s close enough!!

update: I ate a light dinner and my fast is over! After eating, I did start to feel better. I’m glad it’s over and so is my wife! ☺

I’d like to say I feel immensely better now that it’s over, but I do feel like I have reset my thoughts and intentions toward sugar consumption. Tiny example: I had coffee the next morning with much less creamer than usual and it tasted really good, and for lunch I’m going more for water instead of iced tea. I’m still going to stick to my plan of no eating after 6pm, as well as walking each day.

Next steps?

I’m going to read this book by Piper: Hunger for God: Desiring God through Prayer and Fasting (Free)

I’m considering still a monthly three day fast, but to be done on Friday, Saturday, Sunday. This is partly for health benefits as per the study indicated..