![]() ![]() What if for Lent we tried denying ourselves one or more of these places of consumption, opting to sit quietly and undistracted in the Lord’s presence? What would fasting in these ways do for our weary and anxious souls?īut beyond helping grow in our hunger for God, fasting helps us grow in our love for one another. So, what other cravings, what other kinds of “snacking”, keep you from hungering for his love each day? It could be your phone, consuming entertainment for distraction, shopping for things we don’t really need. Lent provides an opportunity to attend to what we’ve been “snacking” on and to embody the belief that only God’s love can satisfy our hearts. Piper reminds us that snacking on good things curb our appetite for the Greatest thing in the universe-God himself. In the same way, most if not all of us are spiritual snackers. I’m not trying to make my fellow snackers feel guilty, but fasting from food teaches us that we don’t truly need a lot of the food we take in each day it helps us pay attention to our eating habits. And this nibbling has become ubiquitous, even among Christ’s followers.ĭoes anyone else like to snack? I love snacking! But snacking not only satiates the hunger for real meals and healthy foods, it also operates as a distraction-it’s something to do when we’re bored or have a craving. He argues that if we’re always nibbling at the table of the world and never hungering after God’s presence through fasting, our love for him wanes. For when they replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable and almost incurable.” The simple pleasures of earth are the most deadly. John Piper writes this, “The birthplace of homesickness for God is Christian fasting…The greatest enemy of love to God is not his enemies but his gifts. And in his sermon on the mount, Jesus assumes his followers will fast: He says “ When you fast…,” not, “If you fast…” The question becomes how can fasting cultivate a love for God and others? Let’s start with fasting for God’s love. It is an aid to more fully inhabit the gospel story.įasting was a practice of God’s people throughout the old and new testaments. Though we might shy away from fasting in an already challenging time, practicing rhythms of fasting and feasting actually help us cultivate a love for God and others that we need in spite of our circumstances. ![]() Lent lasts 40 days, not counting Sundays, which are called “feast days,” where fasts cease to celebrate the resurrection. The Lenten season mirrors Jesus’ 40-days of fasting and prayer in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11). As Patrick reminded us on Ash Wednesday, “ Do we really need another reminder of the frailty of our bodies and of our bonds? What we thought solid has now frayed like we never imagined it could.” If the pandemic has taught us anything it’s this so, why take up another burden of denying our already burdened selves? Maybe you can relate to this Telegraph comic. If legalism is the recurring taste that Lent leaves in your mouth then it makes sense to avoid it.īut perhaps your allergy is more emotional this time around. When you read the word Lent, what comes to your mind? Perhaps it surfaces trappings of legalism instead of gospel freedom. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18) 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. Signup here to receive these devotionals daily via email during this season of Advent.“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so that their fasting may be seen by others. It is a time for remembering and rejoicing. The advent season is therefore a time to reflect upon the promises of God and to anticipate the fulfillment of those promises. What is Advent? It’s the season when we look back to Christ’s first coming, as a baby born in Bethlehem, and look forward to his second coming when he will return to renew and redeem every part of fallen creation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |