A Fasted Life

I remember reading something in a book written by a great Bible teacher. He said that God had led him to lead a fasted life. He refrains from eating as much as he wants every day. I never forgot it. I read it years ago.

I read a fasting manual this morning. I was fascinated by what the writer referred to as a 'Fasting Zone.' They wrote, "The best way to describe your Fast Zone is that it's the place where you feel light and spiritually in tune. Your mind is easily focused on God and spiritual things. You have increased spiritual energy-you can feel the fast working." It went on to explain how to stay in your Fast Zone by the things you eat and the foods you eliminate from your diet.

I was thinking about the concept of a Fast Zone and the concept of leading a fasted life.
Shouldn't we want to always be at a place where we 'feel light and spiritually in tune?' Shouldn't we always want our minds to be easily focused on God and spiritual things?" Isn't this the way we are to live?

Sugar, coffee, white flour, caffeine, etc. can muddy the quality of the blood that runs through our veins, and so affect the way we feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

What muddies the Water of Life in our Spirits?

The viewing of violent movies?
Participating in gossip?
Being too busy?
Reading romance novels?
Avoiding fellowship?
Eating poorly?
Not eating the Bread of Life?

What do you think?

I read the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman this morning.
When He got to the well, He was hungry and tired.
But by the time He had talked with the woman
and offered her living water,
He wasn't hungry anymore.

The disciples implored, "Eat, Rabbi, eat!"
And He said, "I have food to eat which you do not know...
My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work."

When we fast,
we shouldn't think so much about what we are not eating
and what we are not doing.
It's true,
that fasting is a holding back from our regular food
and activities.

But, like Jesus,
we should focus on doing the will of Him
who sent us to earth for such a time as this
to finish His work.

We should drink and eat the positive foods
like water and juice and fruits and vegetables
instead of thinking about the negative foods
that we are fasting from.

We should think about putting into our spirits
the Word of God,
and view worthwhile movies and read spiritual books,
and speak well of others and pray for them.

We fast from ourselves, our will, and who we are.

He must increase.
We must decrease.

And it happens at the same time.
The more He increases
the more we'll decrease.
And the more we decrease
the more He'll increase.

And soon, hopefully,
we won't think about ourselves at all
and we'll just want Him.

That's what I'm holding out for anyway.