The past 3 days my squad and I have gotten to fast! It was my first time fasting and really being around that idea of truly fasting, so at first it was easy for me to feel out of my depths. During team time however, we got to dig into what it really looks like to fast, and why we would do it. That’s where we first read Isaiah 58 (if you haven’t read it before… go and read it !!). Isaiah 58 explores the main differences between true and false fasting. It reminded me to check my heart posture throughout my fast and make sure I was fasting for the right reasons. I found myself at times seeing fasting as something like a good work, doing it to prove to God my selflessness. Weird.. but that’s not what the heart of fasting is. We fast to be living sacrifices for the Lord, so we can learn to truly depend on him!!!
During the slowness that the fast allowed, I was also able to learn more about what living in humility and teachability looks like. Luke 18:9-14 is the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Back then, those are the two opposites, the Pharisee was the most high up, while a tax collector was the worst of the worst. In this parable they both went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee prayed with his head up to the Lord; he was fast to boast to God, saying how he’s nothing like the others! While the tax collector couldn’t even raise his head up to the heavens and only said “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” The tax collector then left and was forgiven, “the one who humbled himself will be exalted” (v 14). We are so little in the grand scheme of things and no one person is higher than the next in the eyes of the Lord. We are to know whose we are, no who we are; to have confidence in Christ and not only in ourselves. Our sins remind us that we are nothing without the Lord, and thank God for that!!
The last thing I wanted to touch on is what it looks like to have a teachable heart. For this, we’ve found 3 “main” ways. The first is that a teachable heart loves repentance not reputation. We have to be willing to lose our reputation in order to get right with God. Whether big or small, there’s always something we can be doing to draw nearer to the Lord and sometimes that means dying to ourselves(aka not putting ourselves first). Secondly, a teachable heart can learn from anyone. If we are all equal in the eyes of God, why do we pick and choose to learn from people who only fit into our standards? John 16 reminds us that the Holy Spirit inside of us will always highlight truth. As Christians, we should continually shrive to more of the Lord, no matter what that looks like. Lastly, a teachable heart exposes blindspots. Although this one is probably the hardest for me, it makes the most sense in my brain. We all go some extent blind ourselves to areas of sin, annoyance, habits, and unhealthy patterns in our lives. Uncovering these blindspots can lead to spiritual maturity and growth. It can be hard to see what these are, so ask God to reveal them to you!!
Prayer Requests:
- Continue to walk through life without always rushing to the next “deadline”
- Allow God to reveal blindspots in my life
