Anecdotally speaking, there are dozens upon dozens of testimonies I can recount wherein, in hindsight, fasting was the deciding factor, the finger on the scale, the one piece of the puzzle that brought everything into focus and made everything bearable if not outright smooth. That said, it’s anecdotal; it’s personal experience. It happened either to me or directly to the ministry God has called me to run, to family, or to personal friends. Granted, they are lived experiences, to be sure, and I can testify to their veracity as well as offer up corroborating witnesses, but I’ve always had an aversion to broad-brushing something based on personal opinion. I’ve seen far too many people excuse something the Bible doesn’t just because they’ve done it, and well, if they’ve done it, then it must be kosher, as kosher as lochs and bagels with a side of matzo ball soup. Thankfully, we don’t have to lean on anecdotal evidence to see the necessity or usefulness of fasting; we can just go to the Word.
It’s funny how when people don’t like what the Bible says on
any given topic, they immediately insist that it’s just your opinion,
interpretation, or doctrinal bend. No, it’s the Word. It’s there, in black and
white or red letter if you prefer, and the only way it becomes an opinion is
when you insist that it says something other than what the text says.
If you read “the soul who sins shall die,” then proceed to
tell me why you feel as though that can’t be accurate because the god you know
wouldn’t send anyone to hell, and we’re all going to heaven in the end just by
different roads, the Word did not change, your opinion was contrary to the
Word. One was an opinion; the other was the written Word of God! And yes, I
know, feelings are a great barometer for truth; I mean, look at every dullard
who followed their heart into an early grave or a stint in rehab, but not when
it comes to the Bible. Your feelings, my feelings, your mom’s feelings, or your
wife’s feelings do not supersede or supplant the written Word of God, nor do
they nullify it because you feel as though it’s not quite fair or that it’s too
exclusionary.
If you build your spiritual house based on your feelings and
following your heart, it won’t be a spiritual house; it will be a refuse pit.
There’s a reason the Bible is full of instruction. There’s a reason the Bible
has the blueprint for what must be done in order to achieve spiritual maturity
and a deeper understanding of God.
Sky diving, tripe, or haggis are not for everyone. Fasting,
on the other hand, is for everyone who calls themselves a child of God. Whether
for a day, two, three, or a number God puts on your heart that you know you have
to follow through and be obedient to, whether with no food and water or just
water, fasting must become an integral part of the Christian walk, as
compulsory as praying, reading the Word, and spending time in His presence.
Fasting likewise allows you to see your own limitations,
weaknesses, and overall insignificance and revives the reality that we are
dependent upon God and not Him upon us. For some, that vulnerability is
unpleasant, if not outright disconcerting, because the illusion of control is
ripped asunder as you feel your flesh grow weaker, and you are leaning ever
more on the strength and grace of God.
The first time is the hardest. It’s the tug of war between
the flesh and the spiritual man more than any hunger you might experience. Your
flesh doesn’t want it, not one bit of it, because it realizes that the ultimate
goal is less of its influence and more of God’s. And so, as any cornered beast
would, the flesh fights to keep its place, and wield its influence, and impose
its will. The flesh doesn’t want to die, but it must so that Christ might live
in us fully.
After the first time, once you understand all the upside of
fasting for your spiritual man, once you experience the closeness and intimacy
with God that can only be accomplished by the practice of fasting, you will do
as those who came before you did, and revisit it often and consistently.
Fasting is the cure for many things, and I don’t mean
physically, although the research on the benefits of fasting for the human body
is eye-opening. Again, be purposeful and specific about why you are beginning a
fast, whether for your spiritual well-being or your physical well-being,
because you will approach them very differently and spend the time you are
fasting differently as well.
The focused intentionality of why you are fasting must be
ever-present. While you can laze the day away watching paint dry while fasting
for health benefits, when fasting for your spiritual well-being, you’re focused
on God and spending time with Him. Is there bleed-through? Will your physical
man benefit from a spiritually focused fast? Most assuredly, but that’s a side
benefit, not the primary goal.
So, what do I mean by fasting being a cure for what ails you?
I can only speak from personal experience, but making fasting an integral part
of my journey has aided me in building patience and not reacting instantly to
things that require nuanced thought. It has taught me to lean ever more on God,
trust His plan, wait for instruction, and value the time I spend with Him,
knowing it’s only a glimpse and shadow of what is to come.
We are instructed to wait patiently on the Lord. Why not use that time to grow, mature, and cement our relationship with Him through fasting, prayer, and a deeper understanding of His word?
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea, Jr.
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