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Sharpen Your Affections with Fasting · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome, curious Mind, to another Focus discussion here on
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Reformed Thinking, the show that helps you connect insights and
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gain clarity from the sources you bring to us.
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Today we're embarking on a careful examination of a
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spiritual discipline that frankly, many Christians in our
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bustling, comfort driven world find quite challenging.
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Yet it's a practice Jesus himself anticipated his
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followers would embrace. We are, of course, talking about
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Christian fasting. Right, We've taken a stack of
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your sources, articles, theological research notes, and
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sort of synthesize them to offer a, well, a full look at what
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Christian fasting is about. You know why it's presented as a
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gracious means from God, and how it can actually be put into
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practice in our lives today. Our aim for this deep dive is to
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pull out the most significant concepts, helping you understand
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the spiritual practice not as some heavy obligation, but maybe
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as a dynamic pathway to a deeper experience of God's grace.
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OK, let's begin to unpack this discipline.
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Then let's try to move beyond some common ideas maybe, and
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uncover its actual spiritual value.
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I fasting in the American church, dispelling
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misconceptions and finding joy. So our sources start us off by
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painting a, well, a pretty candid picture of fasting
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standing today, especially within what one author refers to
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as, and this is quite pointed, overstuffed bellies in the
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American church. It seems to have fallen on hard
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times, kind of struggling to find its place, you know, in our
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spiritually active but often, let's face it, physically
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comfortable lives. And this isn't just a casual
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observation, is it? It seems to point to a broader
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spiritual quietness that can settle in when we're surrounded
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by so much physical comfort. When ease is just the norm,
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disciplines that invite discomfort can easily get pushed
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aside. That's very true.
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And what stands out here is this observation of two distinct
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pitfalls, or ditches as the sources call them.
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On one side you have a maybe smaller number who might lean
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towards asceticism. That's, you know, an extreme
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kind of self denial where the discipline itself, the act of
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going without, becomes the main thing.
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Sometimes that can even lead to a sense of self righteousness,
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which is a danger. But then on the other side, and
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this is apparently far more common in our society, is the
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tendency toward overindulgence. The sources make a rather stark
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statement here. The dangers linked to asceticism
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are surpassed only by those of overindulgence.
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That really says something about our modern culture, doesn't?
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It it really does, it's a strong claim.
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Why do the sources argue that overindulgence is more dangerous
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than even, say, misguided asceticism?
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What are the subtle ways that might wear away at our spiritual
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health? Maybe ways that are harder to
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spot than the more obvious problems of rigid self denial.
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Well, it's a key distinction. Asceticism.
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Sure, it can be a problem if it breeds pride or makes us forget
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God's good gifts. But overindulgence, which is
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often more widespread and subtle, It creates a different
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kind of spiritual dullness, maybe constant satisfaction of
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our appetites, whether it's food, entertainment, constant
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connection through social media, whatever.
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It can lead to a kind of spiritual numbness.
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It fosters this comfortable apathy, you know, a sort of
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satisfied disinterest that makes us less sensitive to the Holy
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Spirit's nudges. If every little longing we have
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is immediately met by something earthly, we stop feeling that
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desperate hunger for the unseen, for God himself.
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We become less aware of our need for Him, less likely to seek Him
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with any real urgency. It kind of lulls us into a
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spiritual complacency. The pursuit of comfort, without
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meaning to, distances us from a lively, dependent relationship
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with God. OK, so if that's the general
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picture, what does this understanding mean for how we
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should approach fasting? Sounds like our whole viewpoint
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on it is really key. If we just see it as another
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thing to take off a spiritual list, it'll feel like that.
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Exactly. The sources put this so clearly.
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If we approach fasting as some mere duty to perform, just
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focusing on the act of going without, it quickly becomes a
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task only for the most iron willed.
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And in a society that's constantly pushing instant
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gratification and comfort, seeing fasting as just a grim
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duty, it makes it incredibly hard to overcome what the source
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is called the social and self pampering hurdles.
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Our culture just isn't set up for self denial and our natural
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bent is towards ease. This perspective often leaves
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people feeling like fasting is just too hard or not for them,
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or maybe even beyond what they can do, and they end up missing
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the whole spiritual point. Right, they miss the potential
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benefit. Exactly.
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But the sources offer this beautifully different view.
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If we become awakened to see fasting for the joy it can bring
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as a means of God's grace to strengthen and sharpen Godward
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affections, then something amazing happens.
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It stops being a burden. It transforms, as they say, into
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a powerful new tool for enriching our enjoyment of
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Jesus. This shift in perspective is
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absolutely critical. It changes fasting from a have
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to into a get to from a duty into, well, a delightful way to
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draw closer to Christ. When we grasp that it's a path
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to deeper affection for Him, it stops being about what we give
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up. It starts being about what we
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gain, which is a more lively, more focused, more intense
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experience of His presence and goodness.
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It's about recalibrating our hearts to find their deepest
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satisfaction in Him above everything else.
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That distinction really hits home.
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So if our perspective is so central, how do our sources
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specifically define this practice, this practice that can
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bring such joy? Because I'm guessing it's more
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than just, you know, skipping lunch, right?
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You're absolutely right. It's much deeper than that.
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Christian fasting, as defined in the material you sent, is
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presented as an exceptional measure.
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It's specifically designed to channel and express our desire
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for God and our holy discontent in a fallen world.
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Now, what does that mean? It means it's not for those who
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are satisfied with the status quo.
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You know, those who are content with how things are spiritually
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or with the world around them. Instead, it's for those who want
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more of God's grace. It's for those who feel truly
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desperate for God. So this isn't some casual
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spiritual exercise for the complacent.
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It's really for those who feel a deep spiritual hunger that
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earthly things just can't satisfy, and it's for those
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aware of the brokenness and sin both around them and yes, within
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themselves too. That phrase holy discontent
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really jumps out. What exactly is holy discontent
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and how does fasting help us channel it?
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It feels like a really key idea here.
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Holy discontent. Well, it's a deep, righteous
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kind of dissatisfaction. It's not just general grumbling
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about your situation or some personal complaint.
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Not at all. Instead, it's that ache we feel
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in our souls when we see injustice, when we recognize how
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pervasive sin is in others and structures, and yes, humbly,
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within ourselves. It's a kind of spiritual groan,
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A longing for things to be as God originally intended them,
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for His righteousness and his Kingdom to fully arrive.
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Fasting, then becomes a tangible, physical way to give
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voice to that ache by voluntarily denying a perfectly
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OK physical comfort, like food. We're saying with our bodies,
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God, this isn't right. This world is broken.
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My own heart tends to wander and I'm desperately hungry for your
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Kingdom, for your righteousness, for your will to be done
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completely. It channels that inner longing
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into an outward expression. It intensifies our prayers and
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helps focus our spiritual desires.
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OK, that clarifies. Holy discontent.
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So what does this look like typically?
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The typical form, the sources explain, involves privately and
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occasionally choosing to go without food, though not water,
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for some special period of time, whether a day or three or seven,
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in view of some specific spiritual purpose.
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So it's deliberate. It's intentional, chosen for a
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set time with a clear spiritual goal in mind.
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The emphasis on privately connects right back to what
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Jesus taught, which we'll get to about not making a show of it,
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and occasionally suggests it's not meant to be a constant
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state, but a special tool pulled out when a particular spiritual
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focus or need or longing requires that heightened
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attention. It's about creating intentional
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space for spiritual intensity. And it's not just food, right?
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You mentioned Martin Lloyd Jones broadens this definition quite a
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bit. That seems to open up a lot more
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possibilities for us today. It absolutely does.
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Martyn Lloyd Jones, you know, the respected Welsh minister and
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physician whose work continues to guide so many.
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He offered a broader view of this discipline.
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He stated that fasting should really be made to include
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abstinence from anything which is legitimate in and of itself,
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for the sake of some special spiritual purpose.
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This means Christian fasting isn't restricted to just food.
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We can fast from things like television, computers, social
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media, or other regular enjoyments, things that when we
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temporarily set them aside, help redirect our hearts toward God.
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It can even include for married couples temporarily abstaining
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from sexual relations for a limited time that you may devote
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yourselves to prayer, which Paul mentions in First Corinthians 7.
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That's quite an expansion. It is, and this broader view
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really highlights how adaptable the discipline is.
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It suggests that fasting isn't only for those who can
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physically go without food for a while.
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It's potentially for anyone who can choose to temporarily set
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aside a good God-given enjoyment to focus more intensely on God.
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It's about creating space in our lives, not just in our stomachs,
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for deeper connection with Christ.
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It makes us examine what legitimate things might be
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taking up our time, our affections, our attention.
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And it asks us to consider if temporarily stepping back from
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them could heighten our desire for God and sharpen our
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spiritual senses. It's an exercise in prioritizing
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God above even good things. 2 Jesus is clear expectation, when
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and how to fast. OK, let's shift gears now and
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turn to Jesus's own teachings on fasting.
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Our sources present these as absolutely central to the
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Christian practice, and it's framed not as an if we fast, but
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rather as a when. That distinction really changes
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how we see its role in the Christian life, doesn't it?
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Moves it from optional to expected.
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It really does. While the New Testament doesn't
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layout specific fasting days or tell us how often Jesus clearly
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assumes we will fast, the source has stated plainly it's a tool
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too powerful to leave endlessly on the shelf collecting dust.
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This assumption is key. It places fasting not as some
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optional advanced practice for a select few, but as an expected
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part of the normal Christian walk.
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Jesus, in his wisdom, understood its spiritual effect and just
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anticipated his followers would use it.
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He knew this discipline would be vital for spiritual growth and
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for deepening intimacy with God, especially living in a fallen
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world. He never said you might fast if
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you feel like it. He smoke as if it was a given
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for His disciples. Matthew's Gospel gives us two
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really crucial passages for understanding this expectation.
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Let's look first at Matthew 6, verses 16 to 18.
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What did we learn there about the manner of fasting?
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It sounds like Jesus was less concerned with the outward show
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and much more with the heart behind it.
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That's exactly right. In this passage, Jesus puts his
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teaching on fasting right alongside his instructions on
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generosity giving to the needy in prayer.
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He doesn't ask whether his disciples will fast.
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He tells them how to fast when they do, he says.
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And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for
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they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by
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others. But when you fast, anoint your
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head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by
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others, but by your Father who is in secret, And your father
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who sees in secret will reward you.
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So the emphasis is on the inward reality, not the outward
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appearance. Precisely this text shows
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fasting is as basic to Christianity as asking from God
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and giving to others. And the core lesson is sincerity
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versus showmanship. The hypocrites, by making a big
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deal of their fasting, drawing attention to their gloomy faces,
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they already got the reward, human praise.
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But true Christian fasting, done discreetly, privately, seeks
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only the approval of our Heavenly Father.
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He sees everything, even what's hidden from human eyes, and he
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rewards that sincere heart. So the motivation has to be
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purely spiritual, focused on God Himself, not on building a
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reputation or looking holy to other people.
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It's a heart matter, quiet seeking of God's face.
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For those of us in the Reformed tradition, this really
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underscores that our good works, including disciplines like
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fasting, should flow from love for God and obedience, not for
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human applause. That's very clear now.
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The second passage, Matthew 9.1315, seems to address the
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timing of fasting for his followers.
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This feels like it provides a direct answer for Christians
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today about whether fasting is still relevant.
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What's the main point there? Yes, this passage gives a
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resounding yes to whether Christians today should still
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fast. The situation is this.
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John the Baptist disciples come to Jesus and ask him, Why do we
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and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast.
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Jesus responds with this beautiful analogy.
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Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with
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them? The days will come when the
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bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
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The bridegroom being himself, of course.
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Exactly. Jesus identifies himself as the
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Bridegroom, which is a very intimate, significant title.
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He's saying that his physical presence on earth during his
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ministry was a time of celebration, a time for
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feasting, to mourn through fasting, while he, the
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bridegroom, was physically right there.
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That would be completely inappropriate, like grieving at
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a wedding feast. But then he looks ahead.
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The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from
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them, and then they will fast. That's a definitive statement.
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It's not a suggestion they might fast.
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No, it's a clear declaration they will.
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It signals a real shift once he is taken away, referring to his
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ascension into heaven, his physical absence from them.
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Fasting becomes an expected natural practice for his
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followers in this age, the time between his ascension and his
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return. And did the early church pick up
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on this? Did they practice it?
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Oh, absolutely. This expectation was quickly
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confirmed by the early church. The book of Acts gives us clear
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examples. Think about Acts 9.9 after
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Paul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus.
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He spends 3 days blind, and it says he neither ate nor drank.
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That was a time of profound spiritual turning for him.
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Then in Acts 13.2, we see the church leaders in Antioch
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worshipping and fasting. And it's during that time that
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the Holy Spirit sets apart Barnabas and Saul for missionary
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work. They fasted, seeking God's
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guidance. And again in Acts 14.23, Paul
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and Barnabas are appointing elders in the churches they
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planted. How did they do it?
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With prayer and fasting. They committed these new leaders
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to the Lord. These examples show the early
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church really took Jesus at His word.
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They embraced fasting as a vital part of their walk with God,
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just as Jesus said they would. It wasn't some obscure thing.
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It was a regular means of grace for them.
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Three the spiritual blessings. Why Christians fast?
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OK, so Jesus assumes we will fast.
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That early church modeled it. What, then, are the specific
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spiritual benefits that make it such a valuable discipline?
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Our sources talk about it not as a grim duty, but as a genuine
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gift. That framing changes things.
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It's not just something we do, but something we can receive
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from God. It really is framed that way.
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It's described as a gift precisely because it functions
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as a means of God's grace to strengthen and sharpen Godward
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affections. It leads to what the sources
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call a powerful new tool for enriching our enjoyment of
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Jesus. Matthew Henry, you know, the
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wonderful commentator whose insights have helped so many
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understand Scripture over the centuries.
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He put it beautifully. He said fasting put an edge upon
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devout affections. Think about that image like a
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Craftsman sharpening a dull tool.
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Over time, our spiritual senses can get well dulled by the
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world's noise, by routine, maybe by unexamined comforts.
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Fasting, then, helps to hone those senses.
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It makes us more keenly aware of God's presence, maybe more
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discerning of his voice, more responsive to his leading.
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It helps clear away the clutter of worldly distractions and self
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indulgence, allowing us to perceive and delight in God's
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goodness with greater clarity, greater intensity.
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This sharpening isn't just about feelings, it's about being more
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aligned with God's will and His purposes.
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That picture of sharpening an edge really helps, and it
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definitely sounds like it directly touches our
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relationship with God. How does it connect specifically
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with prayer? They seem almost inseparable in
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the Bible and in our sources. They absolutely are connected.
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Fasting, the sources explain, walks arm in arm with prayer.
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John Piper, whose writings have influenced many in contemporary
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reform circles, calls fasting the hungry handmaiden of prayer.
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What a picture. Fasting doesn't replace prayer.
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It serves prayer. It intensifies prayers
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earnestness, drawing us into a deeper experience of communion
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with God. Like a handmaiden preparing the
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way, fasting prepares our hearts for more, more desperate, more
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sincere talk with God. Piper also says fasting both
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reveals and remedies. Let's unpack that.
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OK, reveals and remedies. How does it reveal?
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First, it reveals the measure of foods mastery over us, or, like
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Lord Jones printed out, the mastery of other legitimate
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things we might abstain from, like TV or social media.
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These things, though good in themselves, can sometimes cover
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up a deeper, maybe unacknowledged, hunger for
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something more, something only God can satisfy.
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Fasting exposes how our belly, our appetites for comfort and
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gratification, can subtly become a God in our lives.
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As Paul warns in Philippians, when we fast, the absence of
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these things makes their hold on us surprisingly clear.
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We become acutely aware of how often we turn to physical
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satisfaction or entertainment or just routine meals to fill a
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space that only God can truly fill.
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This revelation is often a really critical first step
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toward repentance and redirecting our affections fully
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toward Christ. And how does it remedy?
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Well, second, it remedies by intensifying the earnestness of
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our prayer, and saying with our whole bodder what prayer says
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with the heart. I long to be satisfied in God
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alone. When our physical desires are
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voluntarily set aside and we intentionally redirect those
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cravings toward God, our prayers gain a new level of urgency, a
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new sincerity. It becomes a physical
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declaration of our spiritual longing, a full bodied yes to
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God's supremacy in our lives. It expressed that deep
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conviction that our truest satisfaction, our ultimate joy,
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is found in God alone, not in the fleeting pleasures of this
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world. So that gnawing discomfort of
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hunger during the food fest, it's not just physical then, is
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it? It's meant to be like a constant
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reminder, pointing us beyond our immediate physical state.
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Exactly. It's spiritual value is
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precisely, and how it points beyond the physical.
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That gnawing discomfort of growing hunger is described as
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the engine of fasting. It's the very thing that
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generates the reminder to bend our longings for food, God,
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Word, and inspire intensified longings for Jesus.
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Piper puts it memorably. It's the physical exclamation
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point at the end of the sentence.
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This much Oh God, I want you. It gives a tangible, almost
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visceral expression to an internal spiritual reality.
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It lets believers translate their physical longing into a
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desperate hunger for more of him.
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So instead of just enduring hunger as an annoying
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distraction, we learn to harness it.
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It becomes a constant trigger for prayer, a physical sign of
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our spiritual desire. Each pang becomes a prompt.
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Remember, you're deeper, truer. Hunger not for food, but for the
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living God Himself, for His presence, His righteousness, His
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grace. Beyond sharpening affections and
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intensifying prayer, our sources list quite a few specific
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spiritual purposes for fasting. Donald Whitney, another well
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regarded voice on spiritual disciplines, gives a detailed
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overview of the different ways fasting can be beneficial.
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Yes, Whitney, who's written extensively on the spiritual
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disciplines, provides a really helpful list that shows the
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versatility of fasting. He mentioned several purposes,
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including strengthening prayer, seeking God's guidance for big
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decisions, expressing grief or repentance over sin, seeking
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deliverance or protection in difficult times, humbling
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oneself before God, expressing concern for God's work in the
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world, focusing spiritually to better minister to others needs,
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overcoming specific temptations and dedicating oneself more
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fully to God, and finally expressing love and worship to
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God. That's a wide range.
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It shows it's not just for one specific situation.
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Exactly this Fraudless demonstrates that Christian
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fasting is anything but one-dimensional.
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It's a remarkably adaptable spiritual discipline.
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It can be used for a whole array of specific needs and desires
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within the Christian life. Whether you're facing a tough
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decision, battling A stubborn sin, seeking a breakthrough in
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some area, or just longing to draw closer to God in a focused
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way, fasting offers a potent way forward.
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It's a tool that can be specifically tailored to the
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spiritual needs of an individual or even a community.
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And that last one Whitney lists expressing love and worship
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seems particularly central. Yes, it's highlighted as sort of
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encompassing all the others. It gets at the essence of what
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makes fasting such a mighty means of grace.
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When we willingly give up something good, even something
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as basic as food, to pursue God more fully, we are declaring in
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a very tangible way that He is our ultimate satisfaction.
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He is our deepest joy, our most cherished treasure.
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It becomes an act of worship that prioritizes God above
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everything else. It affirms that our delight is
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ultimately found in Him alone. This resonates so well with the
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Reformed understanding that our chief, then our main purpose is
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to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
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Fasting can be a way we live that out.
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That's a helpful summary of its purposes.
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So who is this discipline for? Is it for everyone or just for,
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you know, the spiritual heavyweights?
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Our sources are very clear on this.
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It's not for the self-sufficient and those who feel they have it
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all together. Not at all.
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Instead, it's for those Jesus described in the Beatitudes.
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It's for the poor in spirit, those who recognize their
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spiritual bankruptcy before God. It's for those who mourn over
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their sin, over the brokenness of the world, for the meek, for
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those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
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In essence, it's for Christians who recognize their spiritual
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need, who genuinely feel the weight of sin, who see the
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world's brokenness, who long for God's righteousness, and who
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humbly admit their total dependence on God.
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It's described as a desperate measure for desperate times
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among those who know themselves desperate for God.
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So it's for those genuinely hungry for God's presence and
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grace, not those satisfied with their current spiritual state or
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their own efforts. It's for any believer who wants
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to express their wholehearted longing for him in a tangible
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way. Practical guidance.
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How to begin and sustain fasting?
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OK, fasting, as we've discussed, sounds incredibly beneficial,
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very purposeful. But our sources are also really
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honest. They acknowledge that it's hard
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and many Christians, even if they understand its value,
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rarely or never fast. Why do you think there's such a
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gap between knowing it's good and actually doing it?
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What makes it so tough today? It's a real tension, definitely.
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And the challenges are well, there are several.
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First, just the sheer presence of food everywhere in our
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society, our lives, our social interactions.
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Even business often revolve around meals, work lunches,
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family dinners, getting together with friends.
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Choosing not to eat often means going against some deeply
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ingrained social habits. You might have to explain
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yourself over and over. Second, there are strong social
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pressures to eat with others, to accept hospitality, to not seem,
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you know, antisocial or rude. Beyond that, our own flesh are
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natural human tendency. It deeply craves comfort and
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actively pushes back against discomfort.
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Those physical hunger pangs are giving up other comforts.
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That's a real hurdle. And finally, we should ignore
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the spiritual opposition, the sources say.
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The world, our flesh, and the devil conspire to introduce all
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sorts of complications to stop stop us from doing something
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that draws us closer to God. It's called markedly
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countercultural. In our consumerist society,
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we're getting what you want instantly is the norm.
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All these factors together make consistent fasting a difficult
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discipline to embrace, though definitely not impossible.
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Given those pretty significant hurdles, how then do we even
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start on this slow path to good fasting?
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As the sources put it, they offer six very practical pieces
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of advice to help us figure this out and make fasting A
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meaningful part of our spiritual lives.
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Yes, and these tips are really practical.
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They're designed not for instant perfection, but for easing into
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the practice and being able to sustain it over time.
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OK, what's the first one? 1st and maybe the most critical
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starting point, start small. Don't try to go from zero
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fasting straight into a week long fast.
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That's just setting yourself up for discouragement, maybe even
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physical issues, and almost certainly not succeeding.
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Instead, begin with something manageable.
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Maybe skip just one meal a week for a few weeks.
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Then perhaps try skipping 2 meals.
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Eventually you could work up to a full 24 hour fast.
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This gradual approach lets your body, and just as crucially,
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your spirit, adjust to the discipline.
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The sources even suggest a 2 day juice fast as a possible
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intermediate step. This gives you some nutrients
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and sugar, softening the physical effects a bit while
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still giving you the experience of going without solid food.
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It's a gentler way to cultivate that spiritual hunger.
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And critically, the source is strongly advised not to abstain
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from water during a fast of any length.
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Dehydration is dangerous and has no place in Christian fasting.
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The focus is spiritual, not self harm.
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Health and safety always come first.
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OK, start small, stay hydrated. What's next?
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Second, plan what you'll do instead of eating.
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This is really key. Remember, Christian fasting is a
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spiritual discipline aimed at seeking more of God's fullness,
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not just depriving yourself. If you just skip a meal without
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an intentional plan for that time, you might just find
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yourself dwelling on your hunger, getting irritable, or
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easily distracted by other things.
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Instead, have a specific plan. Use the time you'd normally
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spend eating for focused prayer and meditation on God's Word.
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This redirection of time and attention is central to the
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spiritual goal. Craft a simple plan linked to a
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specific spiritual purpose for your fast.
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Why are you fasting this time? Because, as the sources say,
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without a purpose and plan, it's not Christian fasting.
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It's just going hungry. This intentionality is what
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separates a spiritual discipline from just dieting or willpower.
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It channels the physical feeling into spiritual seeking.
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You might plan to pray for a specific person or a ministry,
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or ask for wisdom, or seek help with a particular sin.
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That makes sense. Be intentional about the time.
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What's the third piece of advice?
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3rd, consider how it will affect others.
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Fasting, while personal between you and God, is no license to be
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unloving. Our love for God is tied
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directly to our love for others. So it's sensible to think about
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how your fasting might impact colleagues, family, roommates,
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anyone you usually share meals with.
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If you normally eat with others, it's considerate.
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It's loving to let them know ahead of time.
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Just explain simply your fasting for spiritual reasons.
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This avoids awkwardness, stops them worrying if you're sick, or
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maybe feeling personally slighted.
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The sources suggest that others should actually feel more loved
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and cared for when we're fasting.
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That implies our spiritual focus should lead to more patience,
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more kindness, more attentiveness to those around
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us, not make us withdrawn or grumpy.
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And here's an interesting practical idea offered if your
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usual meal plans get interrupted.
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Say you're traveling alone and would normally eat by yourself.
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Maybe use that as an opportunity to fast instead.
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Turn that solitary meal time into a purposeful spiritual
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time. That's a creative way to use
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unexpected alone time, OK #4. 4th Try different kinds of
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fasting. Well, maybe our first thought is
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of personal private partial fasting, like skipping a meal.
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The Bible actually shows us various forms.
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There's communal fasting, public fasting, the whole congregation
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fasting together, even national fast called in times of crisis.
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And there are examples of regular fasts versus occasional
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ones. So don't feel boxed into just
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one way. Think about the spiritual
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strength that can come from corporate fasting, doing it
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together with your family or your small group or even your
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whole church. This could be for shared needs,
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like seeking God's wisdom for a big church decision, praying
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together about difficulties in the community or world, or maybe
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uniting to keep the hope of Christ's return fresh in your
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minds. There's a special kind of
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synergy, a combined strength. When believers join together in
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a united plea before God, it really intensifies that
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corporate desire for His will. So fasting doesn't have to be a
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solitary thing. What's the fifth point?
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5th fast from something other than food.
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We touched on this with Lloyd Jones.
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Traditional food fasting isn't suitable for everyone.
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It's really not advised for people with certain health
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conditions where going without food could be genuinely harmful.
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In those cases, or really for anyone looking for an
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alternative, remember Lloyd Jones's broader definition.
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Fasting can include abstinence from anything which is
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legitimate in and of itself for the sake of some special
27:46
spiritual purpose. So this could mean temporarily
27:48
giving up television, cutting back on computer time, taking a
27:52
break from social media, or setting aside other regular
27:55
enjoyments. The key is that when these
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things are temporarily relinquished, it creates a
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spiritual space and helps bend your heart toward greater
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enjoyment of Jesus. The goal is always to create
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room for God to deny a legitimate pleasure in order to
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heighten your longing for something far better, more of
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Christ Himself. For many people today, giving up
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a beloved form of entertainment or constant digital connection
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might actually achieve this spiritual focus more effectively
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than skipping food. And it's a valid, often equally
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challenging form of self denial. That's a helpful option for
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many. OK, what's the final piece of
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advice? And finally, number six, don't
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think of white elephants, focus on Jesus.
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This is about directing your mind during the fast.
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You know the phrase, don't think of a white elephant and
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immediately that's all you can think about.
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It's like that with hunger. When those hunger pang
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inevitably hit, or when you feel the pull of whatever else you're
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abstaining from, don't be content to let your mind dwell
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on the fact that you haven't eaten or that you're missing
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out. If your only strategy is to just
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grit your teeth and tough it out with willpower, it's not really
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Christian fasting. It's more like dieting or just
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self deprivation. True Christian fasting
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consciously turns its attention to Jesus or some great cause of
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his in the world. Learn to, as the sources say,
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transpose those physical pains of hunger into the key of some
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eternal anthem. What does that mean practically?
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When you feel that pang, immediately turn your thought to
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prayer. Use that physical discomfort as
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a trigger, a trigger to fight a specific sin in your life, or to
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plead for someone's salvation, or to pray earnestly about a
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cause of justice. Or maybe just to express your
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desperate longing for a greater sense of Jesus presence.
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This actively redirects the physical feeling towards
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spiritual longing. It turns a bodily ache into a
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fervent prayer. This redirection is what truly
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marks Christian fasting apart from just asceticism or some
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secular detox. The fasting's temporary nature,
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a discipline for this age. This whole discussion has really
29:46
shown how purposeful Christian fasting is.
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It goes way beyond just denying yourself something.
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But our sources also stress something else, something that
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put the entire discipline into a broader and actually really
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hopeful context. It's temporary nature, yes.
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This is such a key point. It gives perspective to
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everything we've been talking about.
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Fasting is consistently described as a radical,
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temporary measure. It is explicitly for this world,
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for stretching our hearts to get fresh air beyond the pain and
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trouble around us, quote. And it is for the sin and
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weakness inside us, about which we express our discontent and
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long for more of Christ. So what does this mean?
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It means fasting is a tool designed specifically for this
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current fallen age we live in. It's a spiritual response to the
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brokenness we experience both outside us in the world,
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injustice, suffering, sins, effects, and inside us, our own
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struggles with sin, spiritual sluggishness.
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It's a way of saying with our whole being, this world is my
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final home. I yearn for something better,
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something perfect, something only God can provide in its
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fullness. So if it's a radical temporary
30:48
measure for this age, what does that temporary nature imply
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about when it will stop? When will this discipline no
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longer be needed or appropriate for believers?
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Our sources state this very clearly, and it's beautiful.
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When Jesus returns, fasting will be done.
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This is a deeply hopeful eschatological message.
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It tells us fasting isn't an eternal state, it's a
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preparation for eternity. It helps us cultivate A deeper
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joy in Jesus now in this life. And it actively prepares our
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hearts to fully receive that joy when we finally see Him face to
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face. It's a discipline that points us
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forward toward the fulfillment of all our spiritual longings
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and His glorious presence. That's a wonderful thought.
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Fasting ends when the feast begins.
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Exactly. The picture painted is vivid and
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full of contrast. When he returns, he will not
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call a fast, but throw a feast. Then all holy abstinence will
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have served its glorious purpose and be seen by all.
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For what a gift it was. What a glorious picture of the
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ultimate reversal from temporary spiritual hunger and physical
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denial to eternal satisfaction and unending joy on that day.
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All the reasons we fast now, our deep desire for God, our holy
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discontent with sin in this broken world, our longing for
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righteousness, all those will be fully and perfectly met in the
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unhindered presence of our Bridegroom, Jesus.
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The discipline we practice now, with all its struggles, will
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then be seen clearly as a gracious means God used to
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prepare our hearts for that amazing, unending celebration.
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So our fasting now is fueled by our hope for the future.
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Precisely this truth means we willingly fast in this life
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because we believe in the life to come.
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We don't have to grasp and get it all here and now because we
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have a solid promise that we will have it all in the age to
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come. We fast from what we can see and
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taste now from the tangible things of this world, because we
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have tasted and seen the goodness of the invisible God
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and are desperately hungry for more of Him.
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It's a practice that looks forward.
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It's a tangible demonstration of our faith and God's certain
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promises for eternity. Our present intentional self
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denial is a physical expression of our future hope.
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But until then, our sources conclude, we will fast.
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It's a clear encouragement to persevere in the spiritual
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discipline, cultivating our hunger for Christ until he
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returns and brings us into the eternal feast He has prepared.
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Outro. That's a really compelling way
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to look at Christian fasting, seeing it not as some grim duty,
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but as a gift that focuses our hearts, sharpens our affections
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for God, and all the while points us with hope toward the
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glorious return of Christ. Yes, this deep dive has really
33:17
shown how Christian fasting, even though it feels
33:19
countercultural, is a spiritual discipline Jesus just assumed
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we'd practice. It offers so many spiritual
33:26
benefits, and it works to cultivate and deepen our longing
33:29
for God, getting us ready for the full enjoyment of Him when
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Christ returns. So what does all this mean for
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you, our listeners? You think about your own
33:37
spiritual walk. Maybe consider this.
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If Christian fasting is meant to be a kind of physical
33:44
exclamation point to the statement this much Oh God, I
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want you, what physical exclamation point might you
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offer in your own life? How might you express your
33:53
desperate hunger for God? Perhaps it's not just food, but
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maybe another legitimate pleasure or comfort you could
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temporarily set aside to sharpen your affections for him.
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Thank you for joining us for this deep dive into the
34:04
spiritual discipline of Christian fasting here on
34:07
Reformed Thinking. We trust this discussion has
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given you much to consider as you pursue a greater enjoyment
34:13
of Jesus. We look forward to our next
34:14
discussion with you right here on Reformed Thinking.