As my wife recently heard a well-known Charismatic Christian leader criticizing fasting as something utilized by extreme Christian groups and akin to “cult-like” tendencies of manipulation and control, I thought addressing this question would be good in today’s blog post. The critique she heard was also about fasting being something that can become ‘legalistic’ and actually ‘stir up’ more sin in the lives of those who were fasting.
The comments my wife heard were with regards to the recent problems that came to light in the life of a well-known Christian leader who’s been exposed as having been secretly living an immoral life. He also happened to be a strong advocate of regular fasting.
The well-known adage is worth repeating here:
The misuse of something does not justify its disuse but rather its right use!
Just because someone who fasted a lot and advocated for regular fasting was living hypocritically, doesn’t mean fasting is what we should now view with suspicion. Lots of hypocrites have admirable practices in their lives. It is their evil and hypocrisy that we need to avoid, not the honorable things!
Yes, the misuse and abuse of fasting throughout Christian history is well-documented. Once the monastic movement began in the 4th century, ‘legends’ of monks and nuns who seemingly did endless fasts began to circulate. I can remember one story of a monk who perpetually was fasting and somehow miraculously survived on the bread and the wine of the Eucharist!
Yes, we can find such extreme examples.
I would say in counter to that, that the disuse and neglect of fasting by most Christians throughout history has been a far greater problem.
For a practice that Jesus said His followers WOULD BE DOING, it seems to be a far greater error and sin that the vast majority of Christians disobey their Lord by never fasting.
Something for non-fasting Christians to seriously consider.
And SADLY the result of the Christian leader’s comments, to an audience of Christians who almost certainly do not fast, will be that they continue in Christian lifestyles wherein they do not fast. That is a lifestyle that Jesus would say, “misses the mark”!(which as you may or may not know is the definition of the word, ‘sin’ in the New Testament)
What about legalism? ANYTHING and EVERYTHING in the Christian life can become legalistic! Quiet times. Prayer. Bible reading plans. Going to Church. Giving. Serving in a ministry. Do we decide to throw out these practices because they can become “legalistic”? No. Rather, we seek to live Christian lives with God’s help that don’t become legalistic.
What about fasting ‘stirring up’ sin? I think this is one of the more interesting critiques the leader made. When I consider the life lived by the Christian who indulges in overeating an unhealthy diet, who indulges in lots of media and entertainment, and who indulges in drinking alcohol, I believe we are looking at someone who is going to be ‘stirred up’ to sin, tempted to sin, far more than a Christian life wherein someone is fasting from those indulgences.
Having lived both types of the aforementioned lives that I’ve just described, I can attest that a disciplined life of fasting helps me to have far greater victory over sin.
Interestingly, I would have to say that the Christian leader who was making such a comment is not in touch with the kinds of lives being lived by the non-fasting Christians who follow his ministry.
At the end of the day, Jesus would ask you if you are His disciple and you do not fast, WHEN will you begin doing what I said My disciples would be doing when I left the earth?
For such a time as this…
Keto4Christians / Carnivore4Christians 