Fasting in Lent

One of the disciplines to which the Lenten season calls us is fasting.  I must confess to having limited experience with this particular spiritual discipline, but enough to understand a little bit about it.  First of all, it must be pointed out that the purpose of a fast is spiritual.  Its purpose has nothing to do with weight loss.  If weight loss is what we are about in Lent, do not call is a fast.  Call it what it is and that is dieting.  One is about the body and the other is about the spirit.  

A second important thing to which consideration must be given is personal health.  If doing without food for an extended or unusual amount of time is putting personal health at risk, then fasting is is not a good idea.   If we are not acquainted with how our body is going to respond to a fast, it is better to start out by doing without a meal or two instead of launching out in some 40 day Jesus like fast.  The length of the fast is not as important as the reason we are entering into such a discipline.  While many good spiritual reasons might be offered for fasting, one very basic purpose should always be sharpening, or deepening our awareness of the presence of God in our life.  Some people might use the fasting discipline as a way of becoming more focused on a particular prayer concern such as the struggle of a sufferer, or a search for a way forward into what seems to be a new sense of God's unfolding plan.  

It is a good thing to keep it simple.  Fasting is not really a spiritual discipline which seeks to get some blessing from God as much as it is to seek only God's presence.  Finally, if the first attempts at fasting do not work out, there is no need to beat ourselves up about it.  God has proven Himself many times to be a God who longs more for a heart that seeks Him than one which takes pride in performance.