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Do you have to like fasting?
We were talking in the youth meeting last week, and the topic was fasting. The speaker said we don't have to necessarily like fasting. I personally thought it was a pretty risky statement to make.
How do you guys feel about that? Is fasting something to be liked or enjoyed?
How do you guys feel about that? Is fasting something to be liked or enjoyed?
Comments
"...What I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do."
(Romans 7:15)
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"For what I am doing, I do not understand."
"...What I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do."
(Romans 7:15)
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TheGodChrist,
Please elaborate on how those verses apply.
[quote author=✞TheGodChrist✞ link=topic=12628.msg148245#msg148245 date=1322705390]
"For what I am doing, I do not understand."
"...What I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do."
(Romans 7:15)
+++
TheGodChrist,
Please elaborate on how those verses apply.
I think he means that you don't have to enjoy it, but i could use more of an explanation.
"For what I am doing, I do not understand."
"...What I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do."
(Romans 7:15)
+++
Whenever you do anything spiritual, it is hard. At first, you will not like it. But after you see the fruits of it, then you will see the benefit. And because you see the benefit, the temporary suffering will be of little significance to you.
Why would a martyr willingly sacrifice their self for a Person who lived 2000 years ago? Why undergo the torture? It is not a natural thing, nor is it particularly comfortable.
Once a person looks at how much his spirit will benefit from the ascetic practice of fasting, then one realizes that it is indeed worthwhile. Once a person tastes the fruit of the spirit that is brought forth from fasting, he will enjoy it despite any bodily discomfort he may feel.
A baby never likes solid food at first. It is not what he is used to, and it is very hard to chew. But after a while, the baby realizes that it is good for him. The solid food will give him more nutrients than that baby formula ever could.
Fasting is very similar. It is hard at first, and we do not enjoy it because we are weak. We are babies. But once we do the cost-benefit analysis in our heads, that's when we realize that the benefit is indeed worth the little discomfort that we often go through while fasting.
Enjoyment is not whether we are in pain or in comfort. Enjoyment comes when we are doing what is right in God's eyes and growing in His divine light.
That is when we truly enjoy...
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I was just a bit confused because I always heard that verse interpreted as St. Paul's struggle with sin, not doing good works.
In any case, my misunderstanding rests in the fact that there surely are some who have no discomfort or have grown past the discomfort of fasting. They enjoy it (the changing of food and abstaining parts) fully.
What then? Do they need to make things harder on themselves? Is struggling and feeling discomfort a necessary part of fasting or is it just the initial stage because we are "babies"?
in our humanity we may not enjoy the heavenly things ... at first but when are realized to our eternal goal by the grace of God we can then enjoy as we see it brings us closer to that eternal goal
God Bless :)
i suppose this would be harder than giving up food!
actually some friends of mine who are not so strict with fasting are very kind and humble and bring me much closer to God. this is because they are far more humble than i am.
the important thing is being more like Jesus. fasting helps u to do this but only as part of a 'diet' of humility, prayer, Bible study and church fellowship.
just like eating a slimming breakfast cereal won't help u loose weight if u have burgers and chips for lunch, so fasting without humility and prayer won't help.
resisting temptations makes us stronger and closer to God.
may God give us all strength to resist all temptations!
if u enjoy fasting, then u have to fight the temptations of pride and thinking u r more spiritual than u are.
i suppose this would be harder than giving up food!
But why would it make you proud? yes, You should be happy to defeat the devil, and there's nothing wrong with realizing your spirituality. That's where I think we take humility a little too far.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
As a couple people here have already said, I don't think there's anything enjoyable about the physical aspect of fasting.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Great example!