"Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments," ~Joel 2:12-13
Ash Wednesday is a special point in the liturgical church year when we set aside time for fasting in preparation for the Easter celebration. People mostly choose to fast from certain foods, whereas some pick intangible objects like social media. Our example is Jesus undergoing the ultimate fast from everything by being alone in the desert for over a month (Matt. 4:1-11). As we start our fasting journey, it's essential to examine why we fast. In today's competitive world, it's easy to reduce fasting to a friendly contest. As Americans, we live in a competitive culture. We enjoy our sports or reality programs where people challenge one another to last the longest and ultimately win a grand prize. There's nothing wrong with competition, but we must guard against injecting competition where it doesn't belong. That is not what Lent is about; in fact, Lent entails the opposite. Jesus tells us, "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance so that they may appear to others to be fasting. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you" (Matt. 6:16-18). When you make fasting about receiving the accolades, you're filling yourself up, leaving little room for Jesus. When you fast in secret by not drawing attention to yourself, you're opening up enough room until Jesus completely fills you (John 3:30). Of course, this requires the aid of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will also help us understand that if we stumble during Lent, we shouldn't beat ourselves up. He will teach us to rely upon Him even more. Beating ourselves up over not "perfectly fasting" is resorting to the competition mindset. It's not about personal achievement; it's about becoming a vessel for the Lord. Let this be a great Lent by thinking less about your needs and focusing more on the needs of Christ. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" ~Philippians 4:13 Always improve the present moment.
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