Whatever attitudes or habits you need to “fast” why not substitute attitudes or habits that will restore or increase your joy, creativity, positive relationships, mercy, and love.
What is fasting?
Lent is the season in the Christian calendar that precedes Easter. Many Christians do something to observe this time as a spiritual refresher, like fasting , or refraining from, from a certain food or drink. I’ve heard of people “giving up” a range of things during Lent, like television, video games, social media, news, sports, or music. Some people “take up” a certain practice, like prayer, Bible study, or service projects.
“meditation of my heart” photo from Lightstock.com– stock photo source (affiliate link)
A “critical” lesson
One of most interesting examples of fasting I’ve heard of was from the late Catherine Marshall. Mrs. Marshall wrote a memoir about her husband, Peter Marshall who served as Chaplain of the United States Senate. She also wrote a memoir, novels, and devotional books. (see links below)
In a story reprinted in Spiritual Classics, Catherine realized she was too critical, tending to judge people and situations harshly and negatively.
Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.For you will be treated as you treat others.The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
(The word “judge” used here is analogous to “criticise.”)
So she felt her “assignment” from God was:
“For one day I was to go on a “fast” from criticism. I was not to criticize anybody about anything.”
At lunch with her family that day several topics came up that she had definite negative opinions about but she stayed silent. Even though she felt lost without her usual sharp interaction, she said no one else seemed to notice.
“The federal government, the judicial system, the the institutional church could apparently get along fine without my penetrating observations.”
She thought about a young man she knew whose life had gotten “sidetracked”, and suddenly realized her negative attitude toward him wasn’t helping. As she began thinking about him in a more positive way, she saw ways that his life could be turned around that she had not considered before.
Her new attitude seemed to create an ability to see a new vision for his life that she hadn’t been able to before.
She related 5 things that she learned about a critical attitude.
It focuses us on ourselves and makes us unhappy.
It can distort our perspective and destroy humor.
It blocks positive creative thoughts God will give us about situations.
It impairs relationships with other people, perhaps causing them to be critical also.
It blocks feelings of love, good will, and mercy from God’s Spirit.
Whatever attitudes or habits you need to “fast” why not substitute attitudes or habits that will restore or increase your joy, creativity, positive relationships, mercy, and love.
Other posts from this blog based on the Sermon on the Mount include
Written especially for Baby Boomers-those of us born between 1946 and 1964- Courage for the Unknown Season offers sound advice and encouragement to anyone who wants to be prepared for aging. For those younger, it will help you understand and deal with the challenges your parents and grandparents are encountering now;
Even though Jan Silvious titled her book, Courage for the Unknown Season, we know what that season is-the season of aging and its inevitable, relentless progression toward death.
We’ve seen it, some of us are already in it, and it can be a scary place, with many unknowns other than the end. Jan refuses to let aging intimidate her, and wrote this book to help others take on our fear of aging, loss, illness, disability, and death with confidence and hope.
She starts the book with a chapter titled “Resilience”, followed soon by “Fight Fear”. She advises us “Don’t Forget to Laugh”, and to “Clean Up after Yourself”- that is, deal with our personal possessions so our family doesn’t have to when we are gone.
I ‘m glad she offers practical tips on staying healthy that she learned from a physician friend. In the chapter “Head Toward Ninety” she lists several steps to maintain wellness-
exercise
adequate sleep
health promoting food
pursue a healthy mind and spirit
“READ, STAY CURIOUS, FORGIVE, DROP THE BITTERNESS, AND PURSUE PEACE.”
She points us to Psalm 92 from the Bible, and suggests meditating on it to gain a “wealth of spiritual health.”
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night,
For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.”
Later, she takes us by the hand, without mincing words about the pain we will experience with loss, and walks us through steps to navigate “Grief and Hope”.
Jan uses examples from her life, her family, friends, and colleagues of using our later years to cherish old memories while continuing to make new ones. She doesn’t try to convince us that aging isn’t painful, but encourages us to find new ways to find joy and fulfillment when the old ways are no longer possible.
Why you should read this book
Written especially for Baby Boomers-those of us born between 1946 and 1964- Courage for the Unknown Seasonoffers sound advice and encouragement to anyone who wants to be prepared for aging. For those younger, it will help you understand and deal with the challenges your parents and grandparents are encountering now; but stow away a copy for 10, 20, 30 or more years when you will appreciate its wisdom for your own life.
I enjoyed reading it since I have or am experiencing much of what she discusses, and her perspective validates my own. For those things I have yet to encounter, I appreciate her suggestions and warnings.
“NO MATTER WHAT SEASON YOU ARE IN, THERE ARE TRUTHS THAT CAN HELP YOU APPROACH THE UNKNOWN WITH CONFIDENCE AND HOPE.
TRUST THAT GOD IS THE GOD OF OUR SEASON, NO MATTER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, NO MATTER HOW UNKNOWN.”
Jan Silvious is a long-time speaker, professional life coach, wife, mother, and grandmother. She is author of eleven books, including Big Girls Don’t Whine and Fool-Proofing Your Life. Jan and her husband, Charlie, live in Tennessee, and have three grown sons, two daughters-in-love, five charming grandchildren and a very bright rescued pit-bull, Rocky-Buddy.
Jan Silvious, author
Disclosure: I read an advance review copy of this book which I received complimentary from Tyndale via NetGalley in return for writing a review.
This post contains affiliate links, which if used by readers, pay a small commission to support this blog.
sharing the HEART of health with faith, hope, and love
Faith ,Hope ,and Love
(1 Corinthians 13:13)
Dr. Aletha
Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.
watercress words by Dr Aletha 