FOOD FOR THOUGHT
(03/29/2009)
Recovering
the Need
David Carter
Fasting
is something that forces us to deny ourselves, re-orients our focus on
God and it prompts us to be concerned with the things God is concerned
with. One of the effects of fasting I most appreciate, however,
is the way it breaks me down and forces me to rely on God.
When you give up something that you care about for an extended period
of time, it grates on you. It wears you out. There are times
you just want to cry out, “I give up!” and break your fast.
It affects your mood sometimes, it affects your attitude towards others,
and these effects are not always positive. And yet, this is part
of why fasting is such a powerful discipline: we're used to being comfortable.
We are rarely in need in our lives and that often extends to how we approach
God. We don't feel we really need him, so it's a casual thing.
But while we're in the throes of hunger or withdrawal, we learn then what
it is to need God; he has to fill that void left behind by our
fast. That's why we're encouraged to take the time normally spent
doing whatever we've given up for a fast in worship to God. Without
that time before God, our asceticism is worthless sacrifice, devoid of
any real meaning. I love recovering my need for God through fasting.
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