April 20: Insight Post by Rachel Cleveland
Monday Insight Post
by Rachel Cleveland
I was first introduced to the spiritual concept of fasting in high school. The youth pastor encouraged us to think about something to give up for the Lent season, a common time when Christians of all denominations think about and practice fasting. To me, fasting has always been associated with food. And as a female who grew up in the throes of diet culture, I already had a challenging relationship with food, and now this youth pastor was asking me to give it up. Or some part of it, anyway. I can honestly tell you, my first thought was not about God when considering what to remove from my diet for Lent. My first thought was wondering how much weight I could lose from removing something for 30 days. What food group would give me the lowest scale number at the end of the month. That is what I was thinking when I gave up bread for the first time.
I told myself I was giving up bread as a symbol. Jesus was the bread of life; therefore, I wanted to give up earthly bread as a parallel. I thought I was so very astute at 15. Here’s what I can tell you about this first fasting experience, it was terrible. I didn’t pray every time I wanted bread to remind myself why I was giving it up. In fact, I spent time constantly reminding my community I couldn’t eat bread for Lent. I can’t tell you how many times those words came out of my mouth in those 30 days. The words of Matthew 6:16-18 were far from my mind! I approached the month with my own intentions, my own gain in mind and it was not even remotely close to being successful.
Since then, I have been wearied toward the fasting practice. Knowing it is a spiritual practice we are called to and given to use as believer, but still not really wanting to go too deep into it. The fear of my misguided intentions, the relationship it held so closely to food and diet and body image, so many ways Satan has used to keep me from it. As I have grown, I now understand fasting can be more than a fast from food. I have often used that side of fasting to help strengthen my relationship with God. Fasting from social media, for example, or fasting from spending money on eating out or buying new clothes, to better understand how God wants to work in my finances. These felt more genuine to me because it didn’t hold the personal complication with food, and often led me to thank God for what I have, rather than what I don’t, giving Him space to move in ways I was not expecting. And I think that is the heart of fasting, removing something to make room for what the Lord is doing or could do.
I don’t have the best do’s and don’ts for fasting. I wish I did because I am a very check list-oriented person. But I can encourage you, if there is a need or a want that keeps surfacing in your life, consider fasting. Fast from anything that holds your time, talents, resources, or sustains you (like food, or coffee maybe) in order to refocus your daily practices, mental load, and reprioritize your habits. Giving the Lord even more opportunities to speak to you. Removing something in order to draw closer to God will always be worth it.
Rachel Cleveland
Worship Team Volunteer
New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org