Throughout our journey through 7, the issue of fasting has often come up. Is it really 7 months of fasting? Since it has been called a fast, why are we making it public? Is that biblical? First, we must affirm that 7 is not, in total, a fast in the most traditional sense. It does, however, contain elements of a fast, but only in part. As such, understanding fasting has become very important for us, though we recognize that all the biblical principles tied to fasting will not apply to our 7 experience. But before we get to the principles, we want to first layout a thesis that will help clarify some points of discussion that may be found in future posts about fasting.
Our thesis (at least for this first post) is this: we believe that the spiritual discipline of fasting should be a part of every Christian’s walk with God. By stating this, we must answer three questions: (1) what is a spiritual discipline, (2) what is fasting, and (3) why should it be a part of every Christian’s life?
(1) What Is a Spiritual Discipline?
A spiritual discipline is a personal and/or corporate practice that promotes spiritual growth. There are several different spiritual disciplines. Bible reading/study, prayer, giving, evangelism, service, and, yes, even fasting are all examples of spiritual disciplines. Each discipline is designed to help us grow to spiritual maturity in Christ.
In addition to Christian-to-Christian accountability and our experiences, spiritual disciplines are the primary ways by which we can increase in godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 says, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” Note that godliness is not an automatic thing for believers. Spiritual maturity does not happen overnight. Rather it is something we attain by God’s grace through training. In short, spiritual disciplines train us to rely on God as our sole source of strength and guidance. As we come to depend on Him more and more, we become more and more like Christ, who, by the way, completely depended on the Father (cf. John 5:19).
Unfortunately, not every believer zealously dives into the spiritual disciplines (and believe us, we are no exception!). The reasons for avoidance are certainly varied and complex. It could be because of apathy, or the fear of attempting anything difficult, or simply having a lack of vision (i.e., not having the end goal in mind). But if we learn anything from 1 Timothy 4:7-8, we can know that being spiritually disciplined has both present and eternal benefits. It will not always be easy but it will always be worth it. Thankfully, we serve a gracious God who will supply our every need to help us stay disciplined so that we may grow closer and closer to Him!
(2) What Is Fasting?
Fasting is most commonly understood as the voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. Other things may also be given up for a fast, such as involvement with other people or certain forms of media. It can be either corporate (cf. Joel 2:15-16; Acts 13:2) or private (cf. Matt. 6:16-18). It can be either partial (cf. Dan. 1:12; Matt. 3:4) or complete (cf. Ezra 10:6; Matt. 4:2; Luke 4:2). It can either be long (40 days, for example) or short (30 hours). No matter what form the fast takes, each should aim for spiritual purposes. These spiritual purposes can be varied, but all of them should share one single purpose: so that one receives God as their ultimate treasure.
Fasting from food says, “I value the life that comes from God more than the life that comes from food.” Fasting from your smart-phone says, “I value communication with God more than communication with others.” In other words, fasting is the practice of intentionally giving up things we value to grow deeper in love with God. Doing so says we value God and are dependent upon Him far more than the things we fast from. To avoid doing so leaves us prone to our idolatrous tendencies we all struggle with by which we will end up worshiping what is created rather than the Creator (cf. Rom. 1:25). And believe us, it will happen!
(3) Why Should Fasting Be a Part of Every Christian’s Life?
The answer to this question is surprisingly simple. Take a look at what Jesus says in the beginning of Matthew 6:16: “Whenever you fast...” Look also at the beginning of verse 17: “But you, when you fast...” Notice Jesus does not say “if” but “when.” It seems clear enough that Jesus expects His followers to fast at some point in their spiritual journey. And Jesus knows best! Those committed to following Him in all areas of their lives would do well to listen to His words and realize that fasting is an important spiritual discipline designed to place God as the primary object of affection and worship in the hearts and lives of believers.
Conclusion:
So, let’s bring it all together, shall we? Because fasting is the voluntary abstinence of anything we value in order to receive God as our ultimate treasure, it is an important spiritual discipline that trains us for godliness, and Jesus fully expects His followers to do it. As we fast, we learn to rely less and less on the good gifts God gives to us and learn to rely more and more on the One who gives. We can certainly be thankful for what we have and can use our gifts to honor the Lord, but there is something to be said for surrendering those things for a time in order to remember that every good and perfect gift comes from one place – the very hand of God (James 1:17). Is fasting difficult? It can be. Is it worth it? If it means greater intimacy with God, you bet it is!
For additional reading, we highly recommend John Piper’s book A Hunger for God. He does masterful job of handling the subject of fasting at length, and he really makes it both understandable and applicable. Additionally, Donald S. Whitney’s book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life not only helps in the understanding and application of fasting as a spiritual discipline but he also covers a vast array of other important spiritual disciplines that, we believe, every follower of Christ will find challenging yet refreshing. Both works (in conjunction with the Bible as the primary text) were instrumental in helping us understand this issue as a whole.
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