How Hungry Am I? Part 1

Food cravings will drive a person to do odd things! The other night I had a craving for some Culvers Custard and almost headed out of the house in my Pajama's. After all they have a drive through so what would be the big deal? We do love our food and those of us who have a sweet tooth will go through any length to find satisfaction. Take going to a Chinese Buffet as an example. Every time I go to one I tell myself that "this time I am going to eat in moderation", but I always end up stuffed. Last week our staff went to a Chinese Buffet and an hour later back at the office the only thing I wanted to do was to take a nap on one of the pews. Food for the American is a priority! We do have a love affair with our food!

The reason I have been contemplating my eating habits was due to a Fasting Thread started on Christian Church Today website that I like to frequent. In that thread there was a book mentioned that I have always wanted to read. The book is "A Hunger For God" by Dr. John Piper who is a fellow Pastor and a great author. I have respected this man for many years and have always enjoyed his writing. I ordered the book several days ago and now it sits on my desk. The only other books I have read about fasting are Fasting for Spiritual Break through by Elmer Towns, and the sections on Fasting in the books "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster, and "The Spirit of the Disciplines" by Dr. Dallas Willard. While my previous reading on the subject has proven to be good I have noticed that I did not let it impact my life like I should have. So I have made a commitment to focus on this discipline of fasting in greater ways through the spring and summer because of my desire to draw closer to God. My goal is to read the Piper book by the end of the month and go back and read also excerpts from the Foster and Willard books as well. I think in the contemporary Church we are missing out on a lot by our lack of fasting.

I will be posting several more parts to this new article as I go along in my journey. Hopefully I will share insights from all of these authors and many things I discover in this journey this Spring and Summer. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:16-18, NIV)."

While I will heed Jesus' words and not boast or talk about fasting while it is going on I will reflect this spring and summer on what I discover through this practice afterward. Fasting needs to be discussed and practiced in the Church today. Of all the disciplines I think this perhaps could be the most forgotten one. The one certainty that I know is that I am hungry for God in ways that I never was before.