Fasting

Fasting is probably practiced the least among all the spiritual disciplines. After all, we live in a culture of excess where satisfying every impulse and desire is seen as a positive. Yet fasting is promoted in the scripture as we see Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, Paul and even Jesus Christ fasting and Jesus teaches how to fast in his Sermon on the Mount. Freed from the law, Christians are not required to fast and the Bible has no direct commands to fast, still it can be a beneficial discipline to draw us closer to God.

We fast because Christ has ascended to heaven and we are awaiting his return. “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Matt. 9:15). When we abstain from food our physical hunger should point us toward our more serious hunger for Christ to return and our need for God over anything else we may consume.

It is tempting to use fasting for our own benefit, being motivated by either vanity or manipulation. We may refrain from a type of food or all food simply because we feel we need to lose weight. Another false motivator of a fast could be a manipulation of power. It is common to participate in a fast when you are praying for God’s guidance or for him to grant a gift. While this is not all bad, the attention must always be turned to God doing his will, not a hunger strike of sorts where one refuses to eat until he or she is granted his or her request. Rather than being inspired by vanity or a desire to get one’s own way, proper fasting always centers on God. To know who he is and what his will might be, not how we may benefit. We should be “worshiping with fasting” (Luke 2:37).

Although seeking God is our only goal in fasting, when this happens we will reap spiritual benefits. This is not to be confused with the personal gain described previously; these are heart changes that naturally flow from a worship-centered fast and will come about no other way:

1. It shows us that we are not sustained by food but by the word of God. As Richard Foster says, “Fasting is feasting!” Ultimately, our life is not sustained by the physical elements of food, drink or breath, but it is God and his word that energizes our lives. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). When we fast we are more alert to this reality than any other time.

2. According to Foster, fasting helps us discover things that control us. He says, “Fasting helps us keep our balance in life. How easily we begin to allow non-essentials take precedence in our lives. How quickly we crave things we do not need until we are enslaved to them.” When you begin to deny yourself in fasting you will start to crave more than just food and your innermost sins will reveal themselves clearly. It is sometimes necessary to be in these times of desperation so these controllers of the flesh can be unearthed and intentionally replaced by the Word of God. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:12, “’All things are lawful to me,’ but I will not be enslaved by anything.”

As you fast keep in mind the changes occurring spiritually are more important than anything that is happening physically. The purpose of this discipline is to learn to rely wholly on God. As we feel the pangs of hunger we are reminded of our deeper hunger for Christ to return and for him to be active in our lives even in his absence. Not only this, but denying ourselves the privilege of feeding every desire forces us to humble ourselves before God to provide what we truly need. Although the practice of fasting is criticized in our indulgent culture, Christians would be wise to consider the discipline as a means to worship God better in our neediness.

Please know I do not post this without a weight of caution. I know I have left out so much about how to fast without falling into mortification of the flesh, cautions for fasting if you have struggled with an eating disorder or mindsets that are prone similar behaviors, or practical specifics on how to prepare your body to fast. This is meant to be a brief overview that expresses reason for fasting and the spiritual benefits it provides. My hope is that I will have several more posts that can go into the deeper issues that come up when we talk about fasting. This is just an introduction! :)

Links for Further Research
Facing Lent while Recovering from Anorexia