Since I started my diet, I've began to realize how often I reward myself with food or turn to food when I'm upset. When I need a pick me up, I go get a special coffee or grab a piece of chocolate cake. Today, I got upset about something and was really feeling down. I wanted coffee. I wanted cake. I wanted lemon pie. None of it is on my diet.
In a sense, even though I'm eating everyday, it feels a bit like fasting because my diet has become about "don'ts" and discipline. Honestly, there is little joy left in eating. I've learned the discipline, but I still have lots of desires that are not being met.
With each of those unmet desires, I turn to the Lord and confess how often I've not turned to him because I was drooling over cake instead.
It made me wonder....what was God's original intent when he encouraged fasting. Was it that the people go without food? Or that they realized He met their deepest needs? If it is the heart issue, then what is the more important thing about fasting today? That we give up food? or that we give up the thing we turn to instead of Him?
I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you'd told me to give up football for the month, I wouldn't even be feeling any pain - because I could care less about football. But if you asked my brother, Taylor, to give up football for the month, he would be in more pain than I am on my diet.
Anyway, my perspective has changed a bit, as I view the purpose of fasting being met more by the sacrifice of something I might turn to other than the Lord - so He has more of my mind and my heart.
What do you think?
3 comments:
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I never thought about it quite that way. I will have to pray about what I might need to fast. Probably won't have to pray too long, those kind of things usually pop in my head quickly, darn! ;)
We had to fast aa couple of months ago for home group-it was hard! Hardest for me was no coffee. But I think there are other things that I use in place of spending time with God . . . like TV or computer and for me, that would be a more effective fast.
For me, fasting is more about reminding me to spend more focused time with God. I can't completely fast because of medical issues, so I pick something like chocolate or soda, and fast from that. Every time I crave it, it reminds me to pray....
Fasting is such a personal thing. It is so different for each person. Thank you so much for your thoughts.
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