Fasting

  What is fasting, anyway? It may seem a strange and foreign practice to anyone looking at it from an outside perspective. And I dare say, it is quite a strange occurrence; practicing the purposeful non-consumption of food? Why in the world would anyone do that? We need it to survive! Ironically, people who ask that question don’t realize the answer actually doesn’t even lie in this world. When we fast it is not for any purpose or goal that is in this world. No, fasting is gauged upwards.
    So why do it? Fasting is a purposeful act, a physical declaration, stating that the adherent does not actually need what he is abstaining from to survive; in other words, something is more important to them than food. Moreover, it does not have to be food every time. When we fast it must be for something that pains us to be rid of for a period of time, to shock us into reality the instability of our human bodies and inexorable dependence on God. Fasting is an act of humility and surrender.
    But what is the true purpose of fasting? When we are to fast, we are to hide it. This might seem strange as well, but it is also a sign of humility that causes us not to boast in the trial we are going through. The fast is not for the sake of the fast; if you make it that way, you will certainly have your reward paid in full. No, the fast is not for the sake of the fast, it is for the sake of Christ. Fasting can bring you closer to God, and that is the purpose of any spiritual discipline.