WHEN YOU FAST

 This is my annual soapbox speech about the benefit of one of the most under-utilized of the spiritual disciplines: fasting. Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the season of Lent as we anticipate the arrival of Easter. 

For years now I have participated in the longstanding Christian tradition of "giving up something for Lent". Over various years I have given up candy in general, chocolate in specific, meat, colas, and even snacking between meals. A good fast is one that involves fighting some temptation on a daily basis. Something that causes a bit of pain to go without. The very best fasts are ones that do that while clearing some space in which to more closely listen for God's still, small voice.

Just coming off of a three week sugar fast, I don't currently feel the need to give up any particular type of food. But I've developed a bad habit that needs to be broken - and 40 days is more than enough to break a bad habit. 

My habit is this: jumping on Twitter first thing in the morning. Often, once I'm on, I find it very difficult to tear myself away from reading everyone's take on the stories of the previous day. (People and their opinions are fascinating. Often hilarious - sometimes intentionally, often not.) So for Lent, I am giving up social media in the mornings. I will not look at Facebook, Instagram or Twitter until after work during the week and after noon on weekends. 

This will clear the path to make prayer and Scripture the PRIORITY at the very beginning of each morning. (Along with coffee.)

If you have never done any sort of fasting before, I encourage you to use Lent as an excuse to experiment. I can guarantee you will learn a lot about yourself. Even better, you might learn some valuable things about God, too.

Years ago I heard a pastor make a very good point about fasting. He simply quoted Jesus's words in Matthew 6:16 to 18 - "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." 

The pastor then simply brought our attention to the fact that Jesus starts the statement with "When you fast" and not "If you fast". Jesus clearly assumed His followers would fast on a regular basis. Furthermore, this passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount and it has the same structure as Jesus's teaching on prayer ("When you pray...") just a few verses before. We understand that prayer should be a regular part of the Christian life; why doesn't fasting get any attention?

Hopefully blogging about my fasting plan here is not the same as looking somber and disfiguring my face. I wouldn't want to lose any reward!