It's sounds so spiritual, doesn't it?
Let me lower my voice and stand a little taller then before I tell you I've fasted a few times in my life. Yeah, but don't be overly impressed. I felt it necessary, not to call myself spiritual, but because I yearned for a definitive word from God. Once He gave me a completely clear and exhilarating answer, but only once. I realize now the point in fasting is not to gain God's favor or revelations, but to rely on Him in a new way. Depriving yourself of a daily necessity like food forces you into reliance and weakens your spirit into compliance.
So you'll understand my fascination when I ran across this quote.
Fasting is not confined to abstinence from eating and drinking. Fasting really means voluntary abstinence for a time from various necessities of life, such as food, drink, sleep, rest, association with people and so forth. The purpose of such abstinence. . .is to loosen to some degree the ties which bind us to the world of material things and our surroundings as a whole, in order that we may concentrate all our spiritual powers upon the unseen and eternal things.
Ole Hallesby (Norway/1879-1961)
Is it any wonder this quote resides in my brain during Lent? I think not. Right now seems an appropriate time to fast from some necessity of life to concentrate on the unseen, to focus on the eternal, to better prepare myself to celebrate Easter. God and I are still working out the particulars, but I may give it a shot for a few days.
How about you? Do you desire a clearer focus on Christ this Lenten season? What necessity of life are you willing to forgo in order to concentrate on Him?
2 comments:
What a great quote and really appropriate for Lent. I'm going to have to ponder that for a while. BTW, I drove right through your town on Sunday.
I have given up reading anything but the bible and christian non-fiction during Lent. It has been so amazing I am considering only reading the bible for the rest of the year.
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