Fasting Reveals
By John WyattA Note of Sensitivity: For Those Affected by Eating Disorders As we explore the topic of fasting in this post, we acknowledge that this may be a sensitive area for those who are journeying through or recovering from eating disorders or disordered eating. If you feel this content might be unhelpful for you, we encourage you to take care of yourself and seek support from trusted individuals or professionals.“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139:23-24
Have you ever noticed that it’s only when you get married or move out that you realise how weird your family actually are?
Growing up, my family loved Spam.
We would buy it for each other as birthday presents. We’d eat fried Spam with our weekend fry-up and have it in a sandwich as a snack. We couldn’t get enough of it.
It wasn’t until I married my amazing wife Rachel that I realised this was not normal. I took a step back and saw the bigger picture.
This is what fasting does.
When you’re up close to something, you don’t always see it for what it really is. But when you step back, you gain perspective. Over the last six months, I’ve been fasting every week.
What I’ve noticed during this time is how much I rely on food for comfort, distraction, and reward. I didn’t even realise I had an unhealthy relationship with food until I stepped back from it.
Fasting reveals.
It is in that space, when we intentionally pause and deny ourselves something we’ve come to depend on, that we can ask God to search our hearts and reveal what might be hidden.
Lord, help me to step back and see things the way You see them. Reveal to me anything in my life that I have been relying on too much. Show me where I need to change and give me the strength to do it.
Amen.
Today, take a moment to fast from something that may be clouding your perspective. It could be food, caffeine, social media, or even screens after eight o’clock in the evening. As you feel the urge to have it, pause and ask God to reveal what He wants to show you. What might He be trying to bring into focus that you haven’t noticed before?
