An involuntary fast was the best thing
- Amber Miller: A Word of Truth
- February 19, 2018
- 2317
Feb. 3: I’ve been put on an involuntary fast for two days now. I’m trying to figure out if this fast is of my own doing or is somehow an answer to prayer.
The fast I am talking about is not food, although I have been voluntarily fasting breakfast the past two days because my flesh has seemed out of control when it comes to food.
Fasting, although painful to my flesh and rather unpleasant, helps to put my flesh back in line. It tells my body that it is not the boss, that the spirit inside of me is the real boss who controls my flesh and not the other way around. Fasting is good for me.
I think this involuntary fast is good for me too. I know you’re wondering what kind of fast I am talking about, and it is a fast from my cell phone. Two days ago my cell phone mysteriously disappeared.
Now I am not the neatest person in the world, but I am responsible. I may be messy at times, but it is what I consider organized messiness, meaning I know where my stuff is in the midst of the mess. But this cell phone thing has got me puzzled.
I have looked high and low and really don’t have any idea where it could be that I haven’t already looked. I’ve traced and retraced my steps countless times to no avail. I’ve called on the Holy Spirit to reveal to me where it is as I have done with other things in the past but have received no response.
Part of me actually wonders: Is God hiding it from me to show me the unhealthy reliance I have on it? Is he waiting for me to get to the point of being loosed from its grip over me before he reveals to me where it is?
Now if you know me at all, you know I wholeheartedly believe God is good and will never, ever put or “allow” a tragedy or sickness to come upon us to teach us. Never. But I believe this is different. This isn’t a sickness or tragedy but rather an annoying addiction I’ve developed as of late.
I’ve asked God to help me with it prior to losing my phone because I hate having it so handy to check my Facebook or whatever else at the touch of my fingertips. I check it often without even thinking about what I am doing. But as disgusted as I get with it, I find myself going back to it out of habit.
That time that I spend in idleness on my phone would be much more profitable meditating on scripture instead. It’s like this pull of the world to get my attention off the things of God. My flesh gets out of control, trying to defy my spirit and prove to it that it has no advantage over the flesh. “The flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh.” — Galatians 5:17.
The fact is in our day and age there are so many things that grab for our attention. We in a way become accustomed to all our distractions, not realizing how damaging they can be to us.
I’ve caught myself so many times in these past two days ready to check my phone, then reminded that I can’t. What a wake-up call. Why do I devote so much time to something that is so meaningless? Why do I allow myself to be duped into the trap of the enemy to keep me from focusing on what is really important?
Now don’t get me wrong. Cell phones are not of the devil, but if I give it pre-eminence in my life, I have fallen victim to his tricks. He will use anything to keep us distracted.
Let me ask you: Is there something unhealthy in your life that you need to fast from? Is there something that seems to pull you in although you wish it wouldn’t? A way to get our flesh into submission is to starve it from that unhealthy habit, to make it see that it is not the boss.
Oh it will hurt. It will not be pleasant. Even by fasting only breakfast my body acts like it won’t make it. But the more I train my body by obeying the spirit, the more my body comes under control of my spirit.
The longer I go without my cell phone, the easier it is to be without it. I believe when I have totally relinquished my addiction for my cell phone is exactly the moment the Holy Spirit will lead me to it because it will no longer be competing with God for my attention.
Feb. 4: Cell phone found. Lesson learned, God. Thank you Father.
Amber can be reached at amberdeemiller32@gmail.com or through her AmberRiceMiller Facebook page.