Confession

So I thought I'd kick off this whole blogging thing with a little confession:

I've never been very good at fasting.

I really like to eat, and since we're fasting I won't even begin to describe my favorite foods. But for a long time I just didn't get it. I knew it was Biblical...Moses fasted forty days and nights on Mount Sinai as God wrote the Ten Commandments with his own finger (Exodus 34:28). Jesus fasted 40 days and nights at the beginning of his ministry (Matt 4:2). He also gave specific instructions about prayer and fasting (Matt 6:16-18). Jesus obviously expected that his followers would set aside special times of prayer and fasting to seek God.

Okay, so we should do it, but fasting hasn't ever been real fun or easy for me. In fact, I'm not sure it's fun for those around me either because I can get down right mean when I'm hungry! But like all spiritual disciplines (exercises), you have to start somewhere. Most of us don't like exercising or discipline much at all. I rarely feel like going to the gym. It's inconvenient and painful, but the benefit of health is worth it. The point is never the discipline or exercise itself, but living healthy.

Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:8, *"Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and the life to come." *I think we sometimes forget that there is *training* for godliness. That means there's some exercise and discipline involved. It means we get intentional about our health spiritually. But look again at what this training promises: ...*promising benefits in this life and the life to come. *That sounds pretty good. If you're like me, these twenty-one days will be very challenging, but training in godliness is the most rewarding thing you can do. It's not too late. There are lots of different ways to fast...you just have to start somewhere!

Here are a few ideas:

- Fast TV
- Just do fruits and vegetables
- Fast dessert or caffeine
- Commit to pray with your spouse every day for 21 days
- Lead a family devotion every day for 21 days

The main thing is to live healthy, Jesus-centered lives. I heard someone say that fasting is another kind of feasting...that sort of helped put it together for me. We'll be feasting on Jesus for the next 3 weeks. Bon Appetit!

Ben Davis