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In America, where consumption is king, the dusty discipline of fasting seems irrelevant. Just how much tasty spiritual food are we missing while downing those sacks of burgers? The reason we fast too little or not at all, according to John Piper, is "Our hunger for God is too small. . . . The birthplace of Christian fasting is homesickness for God."
In A Hunger for God, Piper explains that any kind of fasting produces pleasing physical and mental results, but for Christ's followers, the ultimate benefits are spiritual insight and passion for the Lord. Piper writes that "God is committed to rewarding those acts of the human heart that signify human helplessness and hope in God."
Although fasting is making a comeback in some Christian circles, why is it so often neglected? No doubt the comfort orientation we embrace in the West chokes interest in any deprivation. "Fasting in America and other prosperous western nations is almost incomprehensible because we are brainwashed by a consumer culture," writes Piper, a pastor and author of numerous books.
Piper shows convincingly that fasting is just another of the paradoxes of the Christian life--by denying our appetites we ultimately are cleansed, restored, and filled to the brim. "Fasting is meant to starve sin, not us," he writes.
Beyond the personal spiritual benefits, perhaps the greatest asset of fasting is empowering the community of believers and their seasoning of the society they inhabit. As many American Christians tear their hair out in frustration over issues like abortion, Piper urges using the big spiritual guns of persistent and pervasive prayer and fasting.
Bruce Nygren is an author and editor in Monument, CO.
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