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Fasting

For many Christians, it's customary to fast from some sort of pleasure or indulgence during Lent. When determining from what to fast, we often select something we perceive to be hindering growth in our relationship with Jesus Christ. But the most ancient forms of fasting - abstaining from food or observing a strict diet - was not done in an effort to remove sinful pleasures from one's life.

Perhaps in losing the art of fasting, we have lost the understanding about what can be gained from voluntarily giving up a presumed necessity. Throughout biblical and Christian history, many have fasted for reasonable and healthy periods. True, the expectations of instant-gratification in our culture do not react well to the denial of nourishment. But could it be God has something to reveal to us in our momentary self-denial?