Flesh

Flesh

Is not this the fast that I choose: . . . to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

I THOUGHT I WAS DOING a forty-day sugar fast for improved health. After eating more than my fair share of Christmas cookies, avoiding sugar sounded good. But the morning I found myself fighting tears and searching “Bible verses when you feel like a bad mom” on my phone, I realized what I’d gotten myself into. It wasn’t my child’s tantrum, my less-than-patient response, or the mom guilt that ensued. No, what struck me was how, while grabbing something else from the pantry, I caught a glimpse of marshmallows and thought, You’d feel better if you ate those.

I wouldn’t have said I’m addicted to sugar, but those forty days gave me time to consider how often I fill my mouth with food when my spirit is crying out for the Bread of Life. After the meltdown-and-marshmallow day, I had to reconsider my fast.

A passage from Isaiah illustrates the true fast God desires. Instead of a religious ritual or quick fix to better health, God wants more from us (and for us). True fasts require work: to seek justice for the oppressed, to give aid to the poor, hungry, and homeless. They require us to face uncomfortable truths in our lives. Rather than turning a blind eye, we must look—or, as Isaiah says, “not to hide yourself from your own flesh.” The recognition of the frailty of our own flesh is paramount. Our flesh isn’t bad, but it is weak. I wasn’t fasting from sugar—I was fasting from the privilege of my own comfort. How often do I see a news story on TV about a tragedy and change the channel, or quit reading a story about abuse partway through because it feels hard and lingers? It’s easier to grab our phone or dive into a novel or clothing store to escape our discomfort than to confront it.

Let’s not be so quick to choose temporary satiety over the eternal wellspring Jesus offers. Though the truth of our weak flesh can be uncomfortable, with God’s strength we can confront it.

Lord, help us fast in the way you desire. Nudge us to confront the parts of us we avoid. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: Who or what do you turn to when life feels hard?