Fast-Forward

When I was a child, the Church of the Nazarene had a prayer and
fasting organization.  Maybe it still does but not around my part of
the world.  Fasting seems to be one of the lost disciplines of the
Christian life.
 
Before I begin to sound like Elijah and complain that "I am the only
one" I trust that God has many men who are seeking godliness through
various disciplines, including fasting. Because I don't hear it talked
about much, permit me a few words.
 
Some time ago, I was reading some conversations on the computer about
fasting and became really curious about the purpose of fasting.  So
what if Jesus fasted? Why should I?  I researched fasts in the Bible,
noting that fasting was done before worship or some serious event.  I
still didn't see how it applied to me.
 
As I began to sense that I should fast, I made excuses for not
starting.  I reasoned that I didn't see the purpose of fasting.  I
overanalyzed what fasting ought to do for me.  Finally, someone
encouraged me to just do it and see how the Lord would use it.
 
I had enough information to proceed, so I entered the discipline of
fasting to see how the Lord would use it.  Faith without action
produces nothing, so I figured that I had to give it a try.
 
I now fast both breakfast and lunch one day per week.  In time, I
wanted to do more, so I have also observed a Lenten fast for several
years now.  Last Easter, my family voluntarily followed my lead and
each gave up something during Lent.  It was a powerful tool for my
family to glimpse a little of Christ's sacrafice for us.
 
Some days have been easier than others. I confess that sometimes my
attitude in my fast has produced nothing but hunger; no spiritual
high, no keen insights, nothing I could see as having any merit.  At
other times, I can hear the Lord speak more keenly to me, even over a
grumbling stomach.
 
Fasting reminds me that I am completely dependent on my Creator for my
very life.  If I don't eat, I will eventually die. Paradoxically, by
denying myself the things my appetite craves, my spirit and my resolve
grow stronger.  God uses fasting to give me the choice of being a
slave to my appetites (and not all appetites invlove food), or to
freely submit myself (a living sacrafice) to Him.
 
Fasting sensitizes the spirit, encourages gratitude for God's
blessings, accentuates mortality to highlight an eternal focus.  It
creates and develops virtues such as humility, patience, and
self-control.  Fasting rearranges perspectives.
 
At times, I still don't like to fast, but discipline is like that.
Discipline doesn't have to be a dirty word.  By regularly working out
at the spiritual gym, we become better instruments of God's grace in a
needy world. Just do it, and see for yourself.