“Fasting teaches us to say ‘no’ so we are free to say ‘yes.'”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – December 19, 2024
Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred. Proverbs 15:17, NIV
For most of my life, fasting was a largely neglected and overlooked spiritual discipline. As a child, it was virtually unheard of, with the exception of a few youth group fasts in high school, which usually consisted of 24 hours of fun and games to distract us all from the fact that we weren’t eating, followed by the rabid consumption of pizza, eating a week’s worth of calories to make up for a single day of “starvation.” As a young adult, little changed, with the occasional day of fasting here or there usually tied to a moment or season of desperation, hoping an extreme act of piety would rend the heavens and heal whatever was broken in that moment.
Only in the past few years has fasting become a regular and normative part of my life with God, a discipline that has been cultivated and sustained in the life of our church community. My family and I worship in a church tradition that has an ancient rhythm of fasting, choosing to abstain from certain foods, such as meat or dairy, for much of the year. In adopting this practice, though disorienting at first, our entire family has received it as a great blessing and source of growth in our life with Christ.
We are often slaves to our desires, and since food is one of the most persistent and ever-present desires known to mankind, it is the perfect training ground for disciplining all desires. Now, to be clear, as I’ve often heard our pastor say, “God doesn’t care what you eat. Fasting is for you, not for him!” This is an essential truth to keep in mind. We are never invited to fast in order to please or appease God, thinking in some way that he loves us more or turns his ear toward us in a special way when we are “extra holy.” No, I’m convinced his ears are turned toward us far more than ours are ever turned toward him. As such, fasting teaches us to say “no” so we are free to say “yes,” turning away from sin and death and turning toward light and life.
Finally, it is important to remember that fasting, in and of itself, is not magic. You can fast every day of the year and fail to grow in the likeness of Christ. As it has been said, “He who thinks he’s fasting, but is not kind towards those around him, is only on a diet.” Learning to limit and control our desires is only half of the battle. Let us embrace this wisdom, yet in the same breath choose to deepen and expand our desires, especially our desire for holiness, mercy, and truth.
Prayer
Father, help us to live disciplined lives that are ordered toward the way of wisdom and the way of love, that we may walk with you all our days, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Consider ways to incorporate a rhythm of fasting into your rhythm of life.
Related Reading
Joel 2:12; Matthew 6:16-18; Acts 13:2-3
Worship Resource
Cody Carnes: Christ Be Magnified
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