Fasting Fail
Fast. It’s such a trendy thing in our culture right now. There are so many types of fasting it can get confusing. Just look up fasting on the world-wide-web and you will get inundated with information.
Fast. It is definitely a Christian thing to do, a word commonly heard at church but not always defined as to what exactly we are supposed to do.
Fast. It is in the old and new testament. Sometimes with talk of ashes and sackcloth. Were they allowed to eat fruit or did they totally fast? Even in the Bible fasting is not carried out in the same manner every time.
When I was in my early 20’s I was involved in a mission’s offering emphasis at the church I was attending. In preparation for this particular offering our church was called to fast.
This was my first time participating in a fast and I was not really clear on the purpose of fasting. I knew it was supposed to increase our dependence on God but wasn’t sure how that was going to happen just by skipping a few meals.
Here is the gist of what we were planning:
Fast, giving up food, from Friday to Sunday
Attend dinner on Sunday evening
Simple enough, right?
Friday went well, Saturday started out just fine. Then, Saturday afternoon, I received a phone call from a friend asking me to join them for dinner. I said no, I couldn’t go. I tried to explain to this non-believer my lack of understanding of why it was important to fast. I again let them know that I was not going to join them. They persisted in asking me to attend. Doubt crept in. Was it really that important for me not to eat? They asked again.
Ok. I said ok. I will go but I am not going to eat, I will just tag along.
I was so hungry, and shaky.
The restaurant smelled so good. I don’t remember where we went but I remember it smelled better than ever!
What would it hurt if I ate one meal during this fast? No one at church would know, my friend thought I was crazy, and I was so hungry.
I did it. I ate dinner.
It tasted so good; the memory of that meal has remained with me.
After dinner, as we sat chatting, doubt starting creeping in. What did I do? Why couldn’t I do this? Ugh. My stomach was full while I started to feel uneasy.
When I got home, I decided I was going to continue the fast through Sunday evening. I still didn’t fully understand why fasting was important, I just knew I should have stuck to it.
At the end of that weekend, I knew that I had to learn what fasting was all about. It wasn’t just guilt that I felt, it was something deeper than that.
The thing that I didn’t absorb in the call to fast in my 20’s was that fasting is not just about giving something up.
It’s also about filling that void with something else, something better.
Time in the word.
Time in prayer.
Time reflecting on God’s goodness and provision.
Time spent in introspection.
Time seeking the Lord and listening for His voice.
There is so much information about fasting. My advice is this: don’t get caught up in all of the various ways to fast, looking for a right or wrong way to do it. Ask the Lord for guidance, read about times when people participated in fasts in the Bible, talk to trusted Christian friends and family about their experiences. I am confident that you will receive insight from the Holy Spirit on how to proceed in the fast that you are being called to.
Don’t worry if you mess it up. I learned so much eating that delightful meal that turned sour when I was in my 20’s!