Page 18 - Demo

Fasting humbles us. Psalm 35:15 says, “I humbled my soul with fasting.” We live in a world that constantly tells us to assert our dominance, grow our influence, and boast our ego. Everything is a competition and we are encouraged to make sure we have what it takes to come out on top. One of the easiest ways to remind yourself of how weak and small we really are is to skip a meal or two. We sometimes call it getting “hangry.” But the truth is, in those moments we realize how little it takes to knock us off our pedestal. This is a reason why many followers of Jesus do fast: as a way of obeying what James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord.”
Fasting also redirects our priorities. In Philippians 3:17-19, Paul wrote about people He called “enemies of the cross of Christ.” One way he describes them is: “their god is their belly.” By abstaining from food, we realize just how much we have lived our lives focused on the fulfill our physical needs. In Matthew 4:4, during the Temptations of Jesus, while He was fasting, Jesus said, “4It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” Fasting teaches us to realize that our physical needs are not as important as our spiritual needs. We realize that it is not just food that gives life.
Fasting also confesses our dependency on God. This was more pronounced in Jesus days, where bread had to be baked daily, and food was hard to find and difficult to preserve. Forgoing food for a period of time was dangerous, because you might not know when or where your next meal might come from. Fasting was a way of demonstrating your complete dependency on God in a tangible, risky way, trusting Paul’s words in Philippians 4:19: “19And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What is a Spiritual Discipline? What is the purpose of engaging in them? What does it mean to “practice righteousness?”
2. How can we learn to “let our light shine”, and at the same time, “beware of practicing our righteousness before men”?
3. We might not blow a trumpet, but what are some ways that we do “practice our righteousness before men to be noticed by them”?
4. Why does giving make us uncomfortable? How can giving be an act of mercy? What are reasons we use to justify not giving?
5. Why does fasting make us uncomfortable? What are bad reasons to fast? What is the purpose of fasting? Have you ever fasted? What was the result?
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