By faith the seed dies, so the flower can bloom. Each new bud is the realization of the seed of faith.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Fasting. I can’t say it without laughing. Why? Because anytime I do it something always comes up that makes me think, “I wish I had put this off till tomorrow” (yes, I am a horrible Christian 🙂 ). Yesterday I fasted and yes, had the thought. It was family day, my brother came over to watch football and my mom spent ALL DAY COOKING really good smelling food. Sigh… life can be unfair 🙁 . Here’s the irony for most days in the week I can go almost all day without eating, and never feel hungry. But the moment the lack of eating is attributed to giving that time to God, it becomes the most unbearable, hardest thing I could ever encounter. Human nature 101: we don’t normally want something until we can’t have it. Today as I sat reflecting on the things that God showed me yesterday. It hit me that the point of fasting was not to get God to do what I want. It is about  the letting go of something I want, to achieve something I need. The question: Are we willing to give something up, and allow God to fill that spot? Fasting is about the discipline. Yes. The discipline. The ability to bring our flesh (that spends most of its time warring against spiritual things), under God’s control. Fasting brings us closer to God, because it allows our flesh to see that there is something greater than itself. Feeling a little distant, walking with the Lord feels strained? Don’t worry it simply means your spirit and your flesh are at war. The solution: let your spirit win. Bring the flesh under God’s control. Nothing accomplishes that like fasting.

“But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).

Lesson: Fasting brings our flesh under God’s control.