If you’ve ever been to the circus, you’ve probably seen it for yourself. The lion cage... kings of the jungle... ferocious and growling at all who pass by the thick bars of their cage in the center ring. The lights dim and a daring trainer makes his way to the door of the enclosure. A nervous hush sweeps over the crowd… Is he really going in there? Yep. He opens the creaking door and steps inside. You can hear people gasping as the predatory cats snarl and lunge at the source of the intrusion. Wait... what’s that in the trainer’s hand? A whip? That makes sense... but what is that other thing? It’s a stool. Small, unimpressive, and hardly intimidating. Just a few dollars at your local store...
And THAT’S going to stop a killer cat? Yes.
The lion tamer knows that when he waves the four-legged stool at the cat... it attempts to focus on all four legs at once. In doing so, it goes through a kind of paralysis... a confusion that overwhelms it. The once scary roar becomes a tame and weak purr as the crowd cheers approvingly. Simply put... the lion becomes ineffective when it tries to focus on too much.
We are the same way.
Fortunately for us, the Bible gives us a great way to draw our spiritual lives, our challenges, our strengths, our weaknesses, and our opportunities into very clear singular focus.... fasting.
The Bible is replete with scripture about the importance and significance of fasting... here are just a couple of examples.
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:16-18
“So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.” Ezra 8:23
But what IS fasting? It is giving up something that you would normally do in order to use that time to focus on prayer and gaining intimacy with God. Meditation in it’s purest and most effective form. Biblically, food was most often given up... but in today’s era, it might be something like the internet... or a hobby... or tv... It should always be something that will be dearly missed. I talk to some who say “I’m fasting from taking out the garage... or I’m fasting from healthy food” This is not what God had in mind.
When someone is fasting and feels the urge to partake of what they’ve temporarily given up, they are to spend that time in prayer...seeking God’s will for their lives... memorizing scripture... making every effort to get closer to their Heavenly Father. Fasting brings focus like no other discipline. In fact, Jesus Himself did it when the devil took Him out to the wilderness and tried to tempt Him to compromise His mission!
How long and from what you fast is up to you. Do you need 40 days away from TV to help you grow closer to Christ? Maybe. Is a week apart from your phone worth a week connecting to God like never before? Could be. Can an empty stomach remind you to pray and internalize God’s word? Yes it can. When I was going through a time of anxiety in my life, I fasted for 39 days. It was tough but it gave me clarity and focus that helped me breakthrough the challenges I faced.
Whatever you feel convicted to temporarily give up to have intimacy with God... make the commitment this week to do so. Fasting is a discipline and as such, won’t necessarily be easy. It’s worth the struggle... and may just bring you closer than ever to finding God’s plan for your life.
