ABSTAIN TO GAIN

We had a great night of prayer this past week at our church and it was encouraging to see so many people attend - and following the event, we finished with a wonderful supper generously provided by......mmm, actually I don't know who provided it but it was tasty.

So much of what we do in Australia involves food. "Provide food and they will come" could almost be the driving motto of any new event or activity. Interestingly, tonight (just two days later) I am speaking at our IGNITE youth service on "FASTING". I remember many years ago, when working out how we would do the cleaning of the new worship building, we decided to roster all able-bodied people, in groups of 3 families, to do the cleaning. I was soon told via e-mail from one parishioner "I do do cleaning at home and I'm not doing it at church" Sometimes I think many people have the same attitude toward FASTING. Or, if you want to spiritualise it, "Fasting is not my gift".

In Matthew 6, Jesus does not leave room for people to decide whether they will fast or not - he simply says when you do fast, don't make a show of it. I was reading during the week that the New Testament says more about fasting then it does about Baptism. Now I have not checked this out but my guess is the quote is probably correct. Jesus links Fasting, Prayer and Giving and says "When you fast, don't put on a show"

The benefits of fasting are numerous, but there are three I would like to mention in this blog.
FIRST, Fasting provides time and opportunity to seek God in a serious way making time for focused and intentional relational growth. I have heard it said that if Prayer is like calling God on the mobile, then Fasting is like Hanging out with God! Make time intentionally to hang out with God.
SECOND, fasting helps with the discipline of self-control. It helps us put aside human hunger and be disciplined in listening and responding to God. The physical hunger pangs that can come when we fast are a reminder that being self-disciplined in our work for God and relationship with God is important.
THIRD, fasting brings us into solidarity with the poor. I know a person who wraps an elastic band around their finger when they want to remind themselves that they need to do something - they feel the pain of the band restricting blood supply and remember that they had to do something - whether they actually remember exactly WHAT they had to do is another matter all together.