My parents raised me in a religious environment. But I didn’t learn much about faith and fasting. Going to church was about the extent of my religion. And memorizing scriptures for rewards. We even had a monthly fast day, which I think I participated in, but really, I don’t remember what it meant other than going without food and drink. And back then, water. (Now I fast with water.) When I began to encounter trials and obstacles in life I also began to search out this faith and fasting idea. I had to study and experiment with this concept. I realized that fasting requires more than mindless starving.
Fasting Requires Faith and Control
1. Fasting requires faith in the unseen, unknown spiritual side of life. Faith in a God that is real, faith in a savior who cares about you and knows you. Faith that going without food and drink is miraculous. At one time, Christ explained to his apostles that they needed to fast for more faith before they could heal the sick.
2. Fasting requires control over what you focus on, what you choose to do, what you think about. You choose not to eat that delicious hot-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookie. You decide not to focus on the physical things in life — such as sports, video games, or even online shopping. You choose not to focus on the empty bowl.
These things are equally challenging in a world where we have so much at our fingertips. And most of it seems the product of man’s intellect and innovation. Life is sophisticated, and we no longer look at scientific discoveries or erupting volcanos as the voice of God. We attribute these things to man or woman.
Man is proud and claims power over all these things — innovation and destruction. We create iPhones, and we supposedly cause climate change. We, as a general public, believe these things. But even though we think we control all things, few people control their desires — society tells us that we deserve everything we want.
Faith is difficult. We have become a people that only believe in what we see. I’m always offended by the Missouri license plates that tout; we are the “show-me state.” My sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Schwab, used to say to the class, “I’m from Missouri, show me!” She wouldn’t believe a student unless he could show her some physical evidence. Yea that used to bug me. And she was one of my favorite teachers — she let me miss a science test once to finish my paper mache cat.
Yet, Faith is a power that people exercise unknowingly. They plan for the weekend; they plant seeds in hopes they will grow. They start businesses in hopes they will thrive. Faith in God is similar. We don’t see the fruits right away. And I think too often when the miraculous occurs, we attribute it to man, forgetting and not acknowledging that God guided us to the people or the path that healed us, or provided that job, or other need.
We are a society of people focused on ourselves, but we have neglected to focus on our spiritual needs. There is a part of us that will never die that goes on to live after our physical body returns to the dust. Our spirits need to be taught, controlled, and brought back into that sphere in which God lives and operates.
Fasting has physical and spiritual benefits. And maybe that’s why it’s so difficult to see both our body and our soul. I have fasted and seen miracles, I have fasted, and I am still waiting for those miracles. Sometimes they come later than you had hoped.
Sometimes people join in a group fast. If you believe that faith is power, you can also believe that expressing that faith in a fast with other people can be more powerful. I believe that. Since this is a historic time, pandemic time — I decided to post this.
