By the time anyone reads this, we all will likely have gained about five pounds in the last week. And what fun we had while putting on that extra weight! I always enjoy our family’s traditional turkey dinner. The family fellowship makes the savory meal a true celebration.

    “Giving of Thanks” is not only a Biblical pattern for believers in Christ, it is also a justified action based on being born an American. Why? We live in a land of plenty! Counting our blessings ought to make us grateful. As I said last week, we ought not to be grateful merely in a subjective sense (a personal feeling), but grateful expressed in an objective way … to the source of blessings, a person, Almighty God.

    Think about it: we in America have been feasting every day, not just Thanksgiving. Do you realize how abundant food is in this country? No one that I’ve seen lately comes close to looking malnourished. Have you seen any skinny beggars? Do your neighbors look like they’re starving? Nope. Not me! We have become a nation of overweight people: indulgent, lazy, entitled, and surprisingly … very ungrateful.

    Not acknowledging God as the source of our blessings is wrong thinking. It is similar to worshipping ourselves: “I deserve this because I’m smart, talented, determined.” Ingratitude may originate in an attitude akin to idolatry: “My money earned this for me.”

    Perhaps you’re an atheist or a humanist who doesn’t believe in God; therefore you attribute your favored status to sheer luck or fate. (Handsome? Smart? Rich? Privileged? White? Gifted?) That’s sad … to be alone in the universe, with no one to be grateful to, especially since creation is so exquisitely tuned to accommodate life on earth. Why, even if the asteroid belt didn’t exist in our outer solar system, all of the inner planets would swing into chaotic orbits, destroying life on planet earth. Coincidence, huh? Nope, just finely tuned for human life.

    So I thought I would write about a forgotten topic (albeit an ancient practice among Christian traditions), the opposite of feasting … fasting for spiritual purposes.

    Fasting is a Christian discipline that is associated with both prayer and charity (Matthew 6:1-18). If you believe in prayer or giving alms, then you should also believe in fasting. Although much neglected, it is a normal part of Christian life.

    I can recommend fasting to you because I have practiced it. It always resulted in profound changes in my life. Early in my walk with Christ, I would fast both breakfast and lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays until mid afternoon. John Wesley would not ordain any Methodist preacher who did not regularly fast. I’ve also done longer fasts for spiritual purposes.

    To me, fasting humbles my soul. That alone is worthy. It makes my hunger for God paramount. It shuts off the world’s attention and clarifies my vision of heavenly things. For myself, I need to fast periodically.

    Fasting has many benefits to our health even beyond the spiritual purpose for which it exists. Fasting is a mighty weapon in the Christian’s arsenal. It has atomic power to defeat our enemy, Satan. Fasting demonstrates that we’re desperate for God; that it is our heart’s urgent desire for Him to intervene in our lives.

    Try it. Dare to deny your flesh. Go without food for one meal, or two, or even for a whole day. Don’t brag on your actions or you’ll lose your reward. Unless you have diabetes or a health issue, short or partial fasts won’t harm you — but do drink lots of water! While skipping a meal, read your Bible or praise God. Set aside time to pray at the start and finish of each day. Lay your petitions before the Lord with fasting and prayer then watch closed doors or difficult obstacles melt away.

    Ron Wood is a pastor and writer. Request your free copy of Ron’s Fasting Guidelines by writing to wood.stone.ron@gmail.com. (Replies will be sent by return email.)