Hold the fast

"‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD? “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

                                                                                                                Isaiah 58:3-7 


 I've been thinking a lot about what it takes to be a good Christian.  While it has occurred to me that my salvation is secured in Jesus Christ.  I can't be content with the idea that I am not as sharp as I could be for God's kingdom.  There are many things in my life that I have wondered about in the wake of my new Christian life almost a decade ago.  Such as, do I need to be baptized in order to get saved.  Do I need to go on a missions trip to get saved.  Do I need to go to Africa? Do I need to fast...It turns out my answer lies in no for all of them.

Christ has died and risen.  He is the only way to the Father.  For me to assume that me being baptized aids in my salvation, or me fasting, or anything else, is to undermine the sufficiency and complete grace of God given in the representation of Jesus Christ.

So here then lies the question of the post:  Why should we fast.  Why should we get baptized.  Why should we embark on missions.  The answer is this:  That we may be better soldiers of Christ.  I look at the current state of modern church and wonder can be improved on to be a stronger force for Christ.  One thing that I want to emphasize is that the church, along with the culture it is in has lost the ability to deny themselves.  Self-indulgence has a long history of causing many stumbles in ones life and it has not changed since then.  We demand food when we're hungry.  We demand information when we want it.  We connect with our friend whenever we want to.  It may be true that not all of us can afford the latest and greatest, but when it comes to denial of these indulgences, it is more likely a result of circumstance, then of will power.

Why does God encourage us to fast?  It certainly cannot be because He enjoys to see us suffer.   Luke 11 tells us that if we know how to give good gifts for our children, how much more will the Father give good gifts to us.  God encourages us to fast because it gives us the experience of self denial.  I have only truly fasted on material things over the coarse of the Lenten season.  It has been a painful, but rewarding experience everytime I jumped into it.  My progression went from Chipotle > Red Meat > increasing quiet times > Coffee.  (There may have been some breaks in between).  At first, I looked back on my first few fasts and came out with these results. 
"Wow, I use to eat at Chipotle alot.  or wow, I saved so much money." Resulting in, "eh, Chipotle is alright.  I could live without it." 

Great, so where does this tie in to what fasting is all about?  I had a wrong for so long on what it means to fast.  It's not a pain sacrifice to God.  We don't put our pain on the alter for His pleasure, and in return He blesses us with good feelings about our spiritual selves.  Fasting is a practice of self-denial.  This was made evident in my last fast for coffee with my beautiful wife.

My wife decided she wanted to try this fasting thing, and decided hesitantly to give up coffee to which I accepted.  The first week we went to Hawaii for vacation, known for their luxurious Kona coffee.  Every morning our waiter would offer us fresh coffee to which we declined and asked for tea instead.  It was a painful experience, but it was denying our desires for something bigger.  Our needs come secondary to God's kingdom.  Now you may ask, "What does forsaking coffee have to do with God's kingdom?"

Denying ourselves in small things will prepare us to deny ourselves in BIG things.  If we can get into the habit of hiding from our flesh as Isaiah puts it.  Getting into the habit of saying "NO" to our own indulgences and desires.  It will make warding off desires to sin that much more easier.  When the nature of God is sacrifice and the nature of the flesh is self-indulgence.  We must be vigilant in demanding to more like Christ in all aspects.  When we get the urge to steal, to lust, to lie, to speak profanely, to get angry, anything that doesn't align to the fruits of the spirit, we need to understand how to squelch that desire.  If we have no experience in self denial, we'll never never NEVER overcome our desire to sin.

Church, Christ calls us to deny ourselves and pick up our cross.  How can we wholly and completely follow the will of God if we can't deny ourselves.  When we can look at our time and say this is for God? When we can't look at our money and say this is for God? When we can't look at our patience for other and say this is for God?  It starts with looking at our coffee....and saying...this is for God.  My body is not my own....