Fasting: Allowing the Word of God to Transform our Minds
But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 NRSV
Series: Fasting: Renewing Your Mind, Body, and Spirit
Devotional: 2 of 4
You and I have been created by God in such a way that our mind, body, and spirit are deeply interwoven. The messages we continually allow to take up space in our minds eventually make their way down into our hearts, forming us into a particular type of person. Finally, over time, our bodies respond almost automatically to the directive they have received from the character now deeply rooted in our hearts.
As followers of Jesus, we are on a journey to become more like Him in every area of our lives, bringing restoration to the brokenness we all experience. Because the messages we allow into our minds shape the condition of our hearts and ultimately tell our bodies how to respond, we would do well to let the Word of God scrutinize every thought, feeling, idea, and image that stands knocking at the doorway of our minds. Perhaps a healthy first step in this process would be to wrestle through the following questions prayerfully.
What is the current condition of your mind? How have your past experiences shaped the landscape of how you think today? And what cultural inputs - including politics, business, entertainment, and so much more - are you currently giving a prominent seat at the table where key life decisions are made?
As we ruminate on these questions, it becomes increasingly clear that our minds need to be transformed daily through the power of the Holy Spirit so that we might take on "the same mind as Christ Jesus." (See Philippians 2:5)
With that as our foundation, what is the connection between fasting and the renewal of our minds?
Whether we fast for one meal, one day, or an extended period, when the hunger pains come, we are forced to decide whether to abandon the whole experiment altogether or lean further into the grace made available to us through Christ and His work on the Cross. Every time we say yes to experiencing more of Jesus through the discipline of fasting - temporarily sacrificing our body's basic need for food - we are saying yes to renewing our minds so that we might depend entirely on the grace of God to sustain us.
Learning to say yes to more of Jesus when the hunger pains come is not simply a matter of trying harder under our own willpower. Instead, it is a matter of allowing the Spirit to train our minds through the disciplines of meditating on and memorizing Scripture. Indeed, after fasting for forty days and nights in the wilderness, Jesus responds to Satan's temptation to turn stones into bread by quoting the following Scripture from Deuteronomy 8:3, when He said, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (See Matthew 4:4 NRSV)
Today, is God inviting you into a regular rhythm of fasting - even just one meal a week - in order to practice denying your flesh so that you might live by the Spirit alone (see Romans 8:5-6)? Additionally, how might meditating on and memorizing Scripture prepare your mind, body, and spirit to say yes to more of Jesus when the hunger pains come as you practice fasting?
OnThe3rdDay Devotionals
Devotionals that illustrate Biblical principles in a simple and short format that can be applied to your everyday life.
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