We encourage those who can, to fast and pray for the Inspire Movement on the last Friday of the month. That was just a few days ago. As a breastfeeding mum I am not able to completely fast from food at the moment so I was eating small portions. My husband, Matt, however, was fasting completely.
I know he won’t mind me mentioning this. Matt struggles with an ailment that a lot of people have. He gets ‘hangry’ [Hangry:-(adjective)a state of emotional distress caused by overdramatic hunger; a lack of food resulting in a bad temper and tantrums]. When his tummy growls so does he! Sometimes this can have a negative impact on days of fasting. This last Friday he was fasting but instead of getting ‘hangry’ he was distracted by Zoe, our 6 month old daughter. I caught a picture of him reading to her, not just any book, but ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. It made me smile that on a day when he wasn’t eating anything he was reading to Zoe about a caterpillar who ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake and one slice of watermelon!
The bible tells us:
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious you are fasting, but only too your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:16-18
Matt wasn’t grumpy, or looking somber, but modelling to our daughter that when you fast it is for our Father in heaven.
If you want to know more about fasting:
> Look at ‘The Discipline of Fasting’ in the Inspire bookstore
> Join in the next Intro to Missional Discipleship with the Inspire Online School of Discipleship where spiritual disciplines are discussed, along with other practices, that encourage a deeper love of God and neighbour
Rachel is an Inspire Missioner. She is wife to Matt, and Mum to Zoe and Boaz (who lives forever with Jesus).
