Living a fasted lifestyle

A friend and I've been emailing back and forth about a fasted lifestyle. What does it mean? Why and how do we live "fasted?"

Can we look around our lives and see what we don't need, what we can do without and take the time and money we spend on them to give to the poor, or aid a family member or friend?

My friend wrote to me: "There is an entitlement mentality that exist in the church and we're devoid of self sacrifice. Once we do a little bit of sacrifice we buy into the lie of "well I've sacrificed, so I deserve some me time." The latter bites me in the rear all the time and gets my soul in some kind of trouble. We need to preach the good ole fashion self denial again with clarity and without apology and or prefacing."

I'm often bitten by the "me time" bug. Are you? Man, that's a hard one. But I feel it when I focus too much on "me time."

The fasted lifestyle is about the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle. It's about being meek and humble, compassionate and lovers of God and others. Being gentle, not getting revenge when people revile and slander us because of what we believe.

Take some time to read Matthew 5 and let me know your thoughts on Jesus's sermon.

There are promises to all His conditions. If you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you'll be satisfied.

How often do we hunger and thirst for pleasures of this world, and not the righteousness of the kingdom? I'm guilty of that, I know.

Because living a Sermon on the Mount lifestyle, a fasted lifestyle isn't about giving up for giving up sake. We see many in the world who don't know Jesus who live meek and lowly, not pursuing money and things, but that is their god.

Giving it up now as an act of voluntary weakness shows our devotion to the Lord, turning our hearts toward wholeheartedness. When I fast food, I'm weak. When I give sacrificially of my money and find myself in need, I'm weak. I need the Lord to intervene. When I don't speak up or defend myself by checking my words, then I am vulnerable and weak, standing only because He sustains me.

And the rewards will come. If not in this life, in the one to come. This life is an internship. What we do now with our time, money and words has repercussions for all of eternity. Can we wait a few minutes to have "things" so that in ETERNITY (Ecc 3:11) we have ABUNDANCE?

I'm wrapping my mind about it. It's my hearts desire. What about you?