Day 1
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. Matthew 6:16
We all know that list of things experts say everyone should or shouldn’t do that we all, if we were gut-level honest, know we never plan to really follow, right?
• DON’T GIVE YOUR KID’S SUGAR.
We say, “That’s so true. Sugar is bad for kids,” as we hand our toddler a sippy-cup of Mountain Dew.
• EAT ORGANIC. PROCESSED FOOD IS BAD FOR US.
“Who knows what this process junk is doing to us,” we chime in as we squirt some spray cheese on our Cheeto.
And then there are those overachievers out there that do it all. And as they do it all they look down at us who are unwilling to put down our cheese burgers, Red Vines and Colas; closing our eyes to what all that high fructose corn syrup, red dye #40, and cancer causing sweetener is doing to our innards.
So, where does fasting fit in on that list? Is it one of those “good ideas that I never plan to really do”? Is it expected? Is it necessary?
Today’s verse begins with a very important word, “When.” It doesn’t say, “If.” When you fast! Apparently Jesus is saying we should at least fast occasionally. But why?
In his book, Tony Evans Speaking Out on Fasting, Dr. Tony Evans tells a story about two lumberjacks who competed against each other in a contest of who could cut more trees down in one day. The younger relied on his own strength and stamina to win. He’d notice the older, veteran seemed to be taking a lot of breaks. At the end of the contest the veteran cut down more trees. “How cold this be?” asked the younger lumberjack. The veteran explained that what the younger saw as “taking breaks” was actually the veteran sharpening his ax.
We fast to sharpen ourselves. We do too much in our own strength and stamina. Fasting is pausing to connect and rely on the ALL POWERFUL GOD.
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. Matthew 6:16
We all know that list of things experts say everyone should or shouldn’t do that we all, if we were gut-level honest, know we never plan to really follow, right?
• DON’T GIVE YOUR KID’S SUGAR.
We say, “That’s so true. Sugar is bad for kids,” as we hand our toddler a sippy-cup of Mountain Dew.
• EAT ORGANIC. PROCESSED FOOD IS BAD FOR US.
“Who knows what this process junk is doing to us,” we chime in as we squirt some spray cheese on our Cheeto.
And then there are those overachievers out there that do it all. And as they do it all they look down at us who are unwilling to put down our cheese burgers, Red Vines and Colas; closing our eyes to what all that high fructose corn syrup, red dye #40, and cancer causing sweetener is doing to our innards.
So, where does fasting fit in on that list? Is it one of those “good ideas that I never plan to really do”? Is it expected? Is it necessary?
Today’s verse begins with a very important word, “When.” It doesn’t say, “If.” When you fast! Apparently Jesus is saying we should at least fast occasionally. But why?
In his book, Tony Evans Speaking Out on Fasting, Dr. Tony Evans tells a story about two lumberjacks who competed against each other in a contest of who could cut more trees down in one day. The younger relied on his own strength and stamina to win. He’d notice the older, veteran seemed to be taking a lot of breaks. At the end of the contest the veteran cut down more trees. “How cold this be?” asked the younger lumberjack. The veteran explained that what the younger saw as “taking breaks” was actually the veteran sharpening his ax.
We fast to sharpen ourselves. We do too much in our own strength and stamina. Fasting is pausing to connect and rely on the ALL POWERFUL GOD.
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