Fasting: It’s not What you Think it is
Fasting is a spiritual practice meant to bring you closer to God.
My church participates in a quarterly “fast forward.” We gather quarterly, on a Saturday morning, to worship, pray, and begin fasting together.
My initial understanding of fasting was that by giving something up, you are proving that God has the power to curb your addiction for a short period of time.
During my first fasting experience, I gave up coffee for a week. I made it through the whole week, but just barely. At the end of fasting, I said, Wow! I’m stronger than I thought.
I had missed the point. But what is the point of fasting?
What is fasting?
Christian fasting is the act of intentionally abstaining from food or a regularly enjoyed good gift from God to focus on a period of spiritual growth or deepening our relationship with God. In the act of fasting, we humbly deny the flesh to focus on and glorify God, become more in tune with His Spirit, and go deeper in our prayer life. (justdisciple.com)
Looking at the definition above, you can see that fasting involves:
- intentionally abstaining from something pleasurable, while
- focusing on spiritual growth and your relationship with God
Fasting doesn’t have to involve food, even though that’s the first thing people think of when they hear the word.
You can fast anything you find pleasurable in life. Some examples may include television, social media, coffee, and sex.
So often, we overfill ourselves with earthly pleasures.
- Food is no longer a necessity but is now the center of socialization.
- Television and social media have become ways in which we escape from daily stress.
- Many people say they can’t live without coffee.
- Sex has become fun instead of a special connection between two people.
Fasting for me means letting go of earthly pleasures. It means knowing that God has so much more planned for me and that these pleasures often get in the way.
Why should I fast?
There are a number of reasons why it is important to fast.
For wisdom and guidance.
When life gets hard, people often turn to outlets that get their endorphins pumping. The problem though is that the rise in endorphins only lasts for a short period of time.
What people really need is wisdom and guidance to help them through difficult situations.
Look at Moses, who fasted for 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 34:28). During this time, the Lord not only sustained him but rewarded him with the wisdom and guidance of the ten commandments.
For forgiveness.
The first of the ten commandments is, “You shall have no other gods before me.” People today don’t often pray to the gods of television or the gods of coffee. They do, however, treat these pleasurable things as though they are more important than God.
For example, have you ever known someone who never misses an episode of their favorite TV program, but fails to go to church on Sunday because they’re too tired? That person has put television before God.
Just the other day, I went shopping instead of going to Monday night prayer because I knew I couldn’t stay the whole time. I missed an opportunity to spend time with God because I gave in to the impulse of purchasing things I really didn’t need.
Through fasting, we are provided an opportunity to repent of putting worldly things before God. And because of God’s grace, He forgives us and we are given a fresh start to turn our hearts and minds toward Him.
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” (Joel 2:12)
For health.
WebMD suggests three benefits of fasting:
- increased mental function
- healing rejuvenation
- increased willpower
While WebMD focuses only on the fasting of food, I believe these three benefits can be had through all types of fasting.
Increased mental function: When fasting from something pleasurable, you are better able to think clearly because your body isn’t going through the rollercoaster of endorphin release and recession.
Healing rejuvination: You will go through mental healing because the release of endorphins causes you to be extremely happy for a moment, then back to normal the next. This rapid emotional change can exacerbate mental health challenges, making you feel worse in the long run.
By fasting these pleasurable experiences, your mind is able to relax and return to a state of equilibrium.
Increased willpower: Think about social media for a moment. Have you ever noticed how long the delay is between seeing your phone on the table and picking it up to check Facebook or some other platform?
I bet it’s less than a minute. That’s because of a lack of willpower. It almost physically hurts to wait longer. No one wants to be controlled by their electronics. Fasting helps to strengthen your willpower.
In conclusion
Fasting isn’t just abstaining from food for a period of time. It is so much more. Benefits include receiving guidance from God, forgiveness from our sins, as well as multiple health benefits.
Thank you for reading. I hope you now have a better understanding of fasting and might even be willing to give it a try!If you like what you've read, please consider following me on Medium.
