Fasting Day 2 of 40 | First Thursday of Lent
Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments. Exodus 34:28
Medical blokes tell us fasting offers real health benefits. For example, it flips a metabolic switch that tells the body to burn fat instead of glucose. This results in improved health indicators. That’s great. But what if you fast this Lent for an even greater benefit – to make progress.
In the Way of Perfection, Teresa of Ávila offers this keen insight. “For this body of ours has one fault: the more you indulge it, the more things it discovers to be essential to it. It is extraordinary how it likes being indulged; and, if there is any reasonable pretext for indulgence, however little necessity for it there may be, the poor soul is taken in and prevented from making progress.” Think about it. Moses fasted for forty days and wrote the words of the covenant. Jesus fasted for forty days before His world-changing ministry started. Notice the progress!
Teresa tells us why to fast. The more we indulge, the more we become dependent on things that do not help us make progress. When we fast, we disconnect from these things and from the world. This positions us to connect to God who helps us make progress.
Jesus, us my fasting to help me disconnect from things that are not essential so I can connect with You. I want to make progress. Amen.
Get a journal for Lent. Today, make a list of things that do not help you make progress. Ask Jesus to help you learn to live without them.