I am ostensibly on vacation this week, and for the most part I have behaved myself. I have spent very little time on the computer and have actually gone hours at a time without even so much as a glance at my Blackberry. My wife has been proud of me. This is as close as I will come, at least for the foreseeable future, to a "technology fast."
Have you ever heard of a technology fast? I hadn't until recently when I was reading a blog post from respected elder among worship leaders who shared the results of his 30-day technology fast. I can see the benefits of shutting out the technology clutter to better hear from God, but that isn't too practical for me.
To be honest, the discipline of fasting has never been one that I have felt strongly called to do. For one thing, I couldn't very well go on a technology fast, since I make my living overseeing Internet media properties. And as for a more traditional fast - meaning going without food - I have always been open to God's leading in that direction but have never felt impressed or called to pursue it.
I deeply respect those individuals who undertake this discipline, especially those who feel called to do it and don't make a huge deal out of it. I remember a few years ago when I friend of mine - a lay person - felt God calling him to embark on a 30 day fast. We never knew about it (we just thought he was doing Atkins or South Beach or something to drop a few pounds) until it was over. He asked to meet with the church staff to share what he felt God had said to him about our church during the fast. He shared with us with such a spirit of humility and his insights were spot on with how God was leading us as a staff.
Prior to that experience, I viewed fasting as something that people bragged about or used as a way to make you think they were spiritual. I once met with a pastor whose church I was talking to about coming to serve as their Worship Pastor. He shared with me and Fonda that he was in the middle of a 40 day total fast. Only one problem. I am not making this up - We were sitting at Longhorn Steak House and he was chowing down on a Flo's Fillet. He looked up at the half-puzzled, half shocked expressions on our faces and paused. I asked him if he was taking the day off from his fast so he could eat with us. His face fell and he said something like "Doh!" He then spent the next ten minutes nervously repeating "I can't believe I forgot and ate today."
It was not lost on us that while he forgot to fast, he didn't forget to brag about it.
Spiritual disciplines are meant to draw us closer to God, not give us bragging rights. Jesus made a point to tell us plainly that spiritual disciplines are between us and God. They are not to be trumpeted to the world as the Pharisees did on a regular basis. According to Jesus, when you brag about your prayer life, your devotional life, your tithing or your fasting, you have received your reward in full. But when those disciplines are undertaken out of obedience to the call or command of God and are carried out as unto the Lord alone, you grow in grace, in trust, in knowledge and in faith.
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