Hungering for God

 

When God calls us to follow Christ, he calls us to a life of self-denial and self-sacrifice. This comes in direct conflict with our own natural proclivities and the messaging from our culture, which encourages us to pursue every carnal desire and indulge every fleshly appetite. If we want something, especially sexually, we are told that is a good thing and we should seek to satisfy it. Our tendency is to focus on our physical needs and desires, and neglect the deeper, spiritual needs that we have.

Many, if not all, of us addicts fell into the tar pit of addiction because we were seduced by those voices of self-indulgence. We listened to the cravings of our flesh and made self-gratification our highest priority. We ignored our spiritual needs and desires and settled instead for making our bodies feel good. What we inevitably found was a life desolate of emotional and spiritual substance. This is far from God's intentions for us.

God is calling us to self-control and self-mastery. We are to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Christ. From the Old Testament and onward, for thousands of years, believers have practiced fasting as a way to develop self-discipline and nurture our spiritual growth. Fasting is a difficult thing. It is uncomfortable, if not painful. That is kind of the point, it demonstrates our willingness to endure hardship for our Lord. As we fast, it allows us to center our focus on God and spiritual things and lay aside those things that are holding us back in our walk of faith. It can show our remorse for sin and determination to gain victory over it. It demonstrates that our hunger for God is greater than our hunger for anything else, especially food.

Isaiah 58 says this,

"3. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

4. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

5. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

6. Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

7. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?"

This passage gives us a sort of exchange between God and the people of Israel. The Israelites apparently were fasting and trying to get God's attention, but they weren't getting through. So, they asked God why. What God says is that essentially, they were fasting for selfish, carnal motives. They wanted material prosperity and military victory. God is saying that prayers like this will not get off the ground.

God says there is a way to make our "voice heard on high," and fasting is a way to do that, as long as our hearts are in the right place. We are then given some instruction; fasting is a way for us to "afflict" our soul. It is to demonstrate our sorrow and grief for our sins. It is a way for us to bow our head like a bulrush, demonstrating healthy shame for our failures. Sackloth and ashes were common signs in the Old Testament for grief. We do not necessarily need to literally put on sackloth and ashes (though some do), the point is to humble ourselves and show sorrow for our transgressions.

Fasting was given to us in order to loose the bands of wickedness, to release heavy burdens, to free the oppressed. Have you ever felt burdened and oppressed by sin? I know I have. Fasting is a way for us to find deliverance and freedom.

But fasting cannot be a substitute for righteousness. We cannot indulge in sin for six days, fast one day, and think that we are right with God. Fasting and righteousness work together and support each other. For fasting to be effective we must be resisting sin, and fasting is a useful tool to help us resist sin.

Ultimately our goal in fasting should be to help and minister to others. To feed the hungry and provide shelter for the homeless. We become healthy spiritually so that we can minister to others. Fasting helps us to satisfy our hunger for God, but then it should propel us to go out and find other hungering souls and share the bread of life with them as well.

In Matthew 17 we find a dramatic scene - a father approaches Jesus and pleads with him to cast a demon out of his son. He explained that he had brought the child to the disciples, but they were not able to help. Jesus promptly rebukes the demon and heals the child. A little later the disciples asked him why they couldn't cast out the demon. Here is how Jesus replied,

"Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible for you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." (Matthew 17:20-21)

As a young man that last phrase really spoke to me, "this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."  I held on to that like a promise and tried to establish a regular practice of fasting and prayer. I was wrestling with the demon of porn addiction, and I believed that prayer and fasting would give me the strength I needed to overcome. I wanted that mountain-moving faith. I wanted to fight the good fight of faith. I wanted to taste victory.

There have been many victories and defeats in this battle, and it still continues, but I believe I am on a victorious path today. Fasting has been a useful tool for me to develop self-denial and self-control and to move away from unhealthy, addictive behaviors. It continues to be a way for me to suppress my fleshly appetites and focus on my spiritual journey and walk with God.