Your way over ours.

Three  weeks  into  my  church  study  group  on  Christian  disciplines,  I introduced the members to fasting as an important component of prayer life. Then, I gave practical instructions so that they could try fasting during the week and return with stories of their experiences.

When we gathered again, I could hardly wait to hear their accounts of the Heavens opening up, of burning bushes and flashes of lightning, or at least stories of a still, small voice. The first person to speak said,‘I just felt hungry.’ Her honesty rattled me and deflated my enthusiasm. Not one person in the group reported a ‘mountaintop experience’. Our experiment with fasting had failed – or so I thought.

When I had recovered from my disappointment, I discovered a beautiful truth about fasting. By fasting, we demonstrate our love for  Christ in a very tangible way. We practise honouring God over our own passions and desires. For a short period of time, we choose not to eat because following the way of Christ is more important than our appetites as we pray, ‘Not what I want, but what you want.’

The Christian journey rarely consists of burning bushes and lightning bolts. The euphoria, if it comes at all, is generally short-lived. Instead, we learn to value the way of Christ over our own ways. One mundane day at a time, we are being transformed into the image of Christ.

Prayer: Dear Lord, throughout this day, help us to choose your way over ours. Amen.