Fast - Day 2 - The Difference is Focus
The difference in a fast and a diet is focus. I used to think I could not fast because I had never been able to diet succesfully. The thought of going 30 days without food seemed impossible to me.
There is a difference in dieting and fasting. The difference is the focus. When you diet you tend to focus on not eating. Guess what? The more you think of not eating the more you want to eat. You stay focused on food and before you know it the temptation overpowers your will and you eat.
The Object of focus while fasting is not the food or lack of it. The object of focus while fasting is God. Instead of thinking about not eating when the urge to eat comes, and it will often, you use the urge to eat as a reminder to focus on God. It is amazing how focusing on God takes away or makes the urge to eat less powerful. The more you focus on God, the more you feel in tune, in touch, and spirit-filled.
...God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it...1 Cor. 10:13
Since we all like and need to eat and our body responds when we don't, while fasting, we are tempted to eat constantly.
Dallas Willard writes about fasting, "This discipline teaches us a lot about ourselves very quickly. It will certainly prove humiliating to us, as it reveals to us how much our peace depends upon the pleasures of eating. It may also bring to mind how we are using food pleasure to assuage the discomforts caused in our bodies by faithless and unwise living and attitudes---lack of self-worth, meaningless work, purposeless existence, or lack of rest or exercise." Ouch
Yesterday - I had a hard time with focus yesterday. Peace did not come easy on day 1. In fact, there was more agitation yesterday than peace. As I tried to focus more on God I found it was more of a wrestling match. It was not a hard day physically. The first day of a fast, for me any way, is the easiest physically. I was having a hard time psychologically and spiritually.
Unfortunately, my wife did not enjoy my first day of fasting. To focus on God yesterday I had to take a couple of walks and talk to him while I was walking.
Today, as my body cries out for solid foods, and tomorrow will be harder physically.
an apprentice of Christ
Royal
There is a difference in dieting and fasting. The difference is the focus. When you diet you tend to focus on not eating. Guess what? The more you think of not eating the more you want to eat. You stay focused on food and before you know it the temptation overpowers your will and you eat.
The Object of focus while fasting is not the food or lack of it. The object of focus while fasting is God. Instead of thinking about not eating when the urge to eat comes, and it will often, you use the urge to eat as a reminder to focus on God. It is amazing how focusing on God takes away or makes the urge to eat less powerful. The more you focus on God, the more you feel in tune, in touch, and spirit-filled.
...God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it...1 Cor. 10:13
Since we all like and need to eat and our body responds when we don't, while fasting, we are tempted to eat constantly.
Dallas Willard writes about fasting, "This discipline teaches us a lot about ourselves very quickly. It will certainly prove humiliating to us, as it reveals to us how much our peace depends upon the pleasures of eating. It may also bring to mind how we are using food pleasure to assuage the discomforts caused in our bodies by faithless and unwise living and attitudes---lack of self-worth, meaningless work, purposeless existence, or lack of rest or exercise." Ouch
Yesterday - I had a hard time with focus yesterday. Peace did not come easy on day 1. In fact, there was more agitation yesterday than peace. As I tried to focus more on God I found it was more of a wrestling match. It was not a hard day physically. The first day of a fast, for me any way, is the easiest physically. I was having a hard time psychologically and spiritually.
Unfortunately, my wife did not enjoy my first day of fasting. To focus on God yesterday I had to take a couple of walks and talk to him while I was walking.
Today, as my body cries out for solid foods, and tomorrow will be harder physically.
an apprentice of Christ
Royal
posted by Royal | 5:35 AM
5 Comments:
Hi Royal,
I’ve been so busy for the past two days that I haven’t had a chance to stop by. I was following your fast and then noticed today that you haven’t posted since the last time I dropped in. I hope everything is okay with you and your family.
I have never tried to fast – growing up as a Catholic the nuns really didn’t teach about it – but when I became a Christian several years ago I learned a little about it. My new church doesn’t really seem to take fasting into consideration so I was following your journey with interest.
I look forward to your future posts. Happy New Year!
Your friend,
Christi
Commonsenseamerica.net/blog1/
Christi,
thanks for checking up on me. I just have not been able to develop the blogging discipline. I think I have to think too much before I write.
I will try harder. Maybe
Royal
Hey Royal,
I’m so glad you’re okay. I was a little worried about all of the fires in your area. You write so well, I can’t believe you could have a problem but I know what you mean about thinking too much before you write – makes my head hurt. So I decided to stop thinking...just kidding. :)
Hope to hear from you soon,
Christi
royal,
just write like you speak and it will come out as great as your Sunday messages!
AWESOME!!
That's all the blogs are for - we are not here to critique or be English teachers about what you say - it's a BLOG not a formal paper that is the beauty of it.
In other words - I miss them too! ;o)
Thanks,
Thanks Allie
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