Living in a culture that prizes productivity, we often find ourselves calculating our worth by the amount of things we are able to accomplish in a day. This outlook often encourages and sustains a mindset of anxiety, which has been shown to hinder our ability to function and thrive in relationships — the exact thing we were created for.
A couple of years back, I sustained a traumatic brain injury. I went through various treatments and physical therapy. But the one therapy that has stuck with me was an exercise in breathing. Almost every day I come back to this as I find myself overcome by anxiety, distracted by all the “to-do’s”. Honestly, I simply forget to breathe. As I practice the simple exercise of box breathing, I find my heart rate settling, my racing thoughts quieting, and the anxiety lowering. We were created to breathe deep.
The exercise of fasting is simply that — experiencing relationship with God and breathing deep of his life and presence. It reminds us that we cannot exist apart from Him. The tension of giving up various comforts, is to remind us that He alone was meant to sustain us.
In Isaiah 57:15 God says,
…“I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
This verse comes on the heels of a chapter spent describing the utter idolatry and waywardness of much of the nation of Israel. God’s people were actively seeking out lust, child sacrifice, and idol worship. Verse 15 is the turning point, where God says that although He’ has rejected those with a wayward heart, He will draw near to those that humble themselves before Him. In contrast to those who had turned from God, who actively sought out idols, God calls His people to actively seek Him out through fasting.
Fasting helps us humble our hearts, seek the Lord, and breathe deep from God’s Breath of life. Read Isaiah 57, 58 to see more themes on fasting.
by Kristen Rummel
