Ever been so hungry you couldn’t think?
Sometimes that’s the best place to start thinking.
This week our group had a four-day “semi-fast,” meaning we had about 6 meals (some of them very small) in that time instead of 12. If you are a person that eats five or six times a day like me, and hasn’t fasted since an dark time in her life about a decade ago, then this is really challenging.
Our pastor, Bob, had us go through a fast, sort of involuntary (if we wanted to, we could quit it) but still very effective. It made me realize I could use this Lent period (no, I’m not Catholic, but it’s a convenient time schedule for me) to make my fasting of sweets and chewing gum effective.
During our fast, I concentrated on complete surrender of hunger toward God. I asked him if he wouldn’t mind showing me a thing or two. He gladly obliged.
Some things are very personal. For example, an offensive poem that I used as part of a healing process might not be something everyone wants to see. But during that time, Jesus gave me this gigantic spiritual hug. It was awesome.
He also helped me plant a very important seed in my life, one that never really took root before: I am free. I can give up whatever is in the way of me getting closer to God. And I asked him to help me live in that freedom. To share more things with me every day.
It’s really hard to describe the spiritual gratification and mental clarity you get from fasting…in fact, I may be speaking Greek for some of you. Let me put it this way. What distracts you? Are you an internet junkie? Try quitting that for a week. Call your family instead. You’ll find your focus shifts.
I’m not advocating becoming Ghandi or one of those pencil-thin models, or abandoning all forms of communication and burying yourself in the works of Kante. But fasting gets God’s attention when accompanied by prayer and the submission of your heart to God. It’s prayer supersized.
Take Stephen in Acts, for example. Stephen, a leader in the new church, was persecuted by the religious leaders of the time for following Christ. Before this time he had been fasting and pouring himself out to God. When he came in front of the Sanhedrin (the same legal dudes that tried Jesus), he professed his faith. While they were interrogating him, he said he saw God gazing down on him, with Jesus STANDING at the right hand of God. This infuriated them because it was confirmation that Jesus was risen:
Acts 7:54-60 (NIV, Bible.com)
54Now when they heard this, they were (BY)cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.
55But being (BZ)full of the Holy Spirit, he (CA)gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing (CB)at the right hand of God;
56and he said, “Behold, I see the (CC)heavens opened up and (CD)the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse.
58When they had (CE)driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and (CF)the witnesses (CG)laid aside their robes at the feet of (CH)a young man named Saul.
59They went on stoning Stephen as he (CI)called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
60Then (CJ)falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, (CK)do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he (CL)fell asleep.
What really gets me (our pastor pointed this out) is that Jesus was standing. For those of you that may not know, this is the only time in the Bible where Jesus is not reported as SITTING by God’s side. Stephen must have done something pretty darn attention-getting. Jesus stood up.
God already loves us and listens to everything we tell him. But wouldn’t it be great to really get him excited?
