Day 8

Day 8:  Fasting

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:16-18

When I was first introduced to fasting as an adult ‘new’ believer I will be honest and say that I was not one to be quiet and seek God through the time of going without food.  I knew I was supposed to do without food to seek the Lord during this time; however, all I could do was focus on my stomach!!!  I had three little kids with lots of energy and water was not cutting the pain in my belly and the lack of energy I was feeling!!!  Just being honest.  At that time in my Christian life I was stuck on the do’s and don’ts, the self-righteousness of being a new believer and how much better I was doing in my Christian walk than others were!  Fasting brought me to my knees quickly.  As I walked into the church building another ‘new’ believer and I began to complain to each other about how horrible this was and how hungry we were.  When we walked into the sanctuary (a small room with chairs and a band up front) I was immediately convicted that I had not approached fasting in the way the Lord intended.  There were men and women in deep prayer like I had never experienced.  The presence of the Lord was overwhelming. I knew this wasn’t a ‘normal’ church service.  The music was playing softly. I began to weep.  What was I missing out on when my focus was to comfort my need for food? The Lord showed me I was missing out on so very much.  Learning the amazing value of fasting from food sent me in a new spiritual depth. I learned when the hunger pangs hit, hit your knees and thank God for His presence.  The Christian discipline of fasting brought a whole new perspective to my connection with the Lord.

       Just last spring when I was speaking at an event, a friend asked me if I had read the book 7?  I immediately asked, “Is it about the jeans?” She responded with, “I have an extra copy for you.”  I am NOT a shopper so to have responded like that even shocked me!  Out of shame and embarrassment I took the book. I love to read so I put it on my shelf with other books that were in queue.  As the Lord often does He kept bringing that title to mind and I kept seeing that book on my shelf.  One night I pulled it off the shelf and began to read.

       7: an experimental mutiny against excess by Jen Hatmaker  Wow, even the lack of capital letters in the title took away some of the excess! I have never been a shopper (as I stated before…now proving the point!), I move too much to gather much moss (or junk), and being the daughter of a pack rat I purge…I LOVE to purge! I don’t have excess, how was this book going to speak to me? Many times in my life God takes my prideful thoughts and wrecks my world.  As I began to read ‘7’ I knew that God had chosen this book to breakdown some of the strongholds I had/have in my life.  Her description of decreasing stuff to increase God made sense like nothing had before.  Funny how God does that, He peels the layers of my life away one layer at a time.  I call it the Onion Effect; maybe because it makes my eyes water a lot. (Did I tell you I am not a crier?)  Anyway, this book took me to a new level of fasting…fasting STUFF.  She goes through the explanation of the seven things she fasts from; clothes, spending, waste, food, possessions, media, and stress.  While explaining her fasts she is real, funny and not condemning at all! The book took me to another level of connection with the Lord.

       My sweet little Christian world was rocked again.  Another layer of the Onion Effect had been peeled away.  Fasting the stuff that fills my life and takes up the space that the Holy Spirit can fill has brought me to a new awareness of the ‘Immeasurably More’ God wants to do in and through me.  Now I fast of these excesses I do it only for my Heavenly Father and the rewards are mighty!!!

       What can you fast from to allow more room for the Holy Spirit?  What stuff can you get rid of?  Is there a book that God has used to rock your world (other than the Bible)?