Reflecting on our 21-day journey
One of the most important parts of a fast happens afterwards. Reflecting back on the journey and capturing what you’ve learned and experienced is vitally important. I want to encourage you to do that today. Comment on the blog and let us know what God showed you during this journey.
To get us started, I asked Tami Shields to go first. Tami is a wife, aunt and teacher. As important as those roles are, God used this fast to remind her of an even greater truth about herself and her Heavenly Father….
“When I considered participating in the 21 day fast I began researching what the essentials of a fast were. I knew I would give up something, and I would pray. Several people indicated that getting into the Word helped them focus and pray. So I decided that during these 21 days I would read through the book of Isaiah.
Throughout my daily reading I kept thinking, “How stupid were these people?” God kept showing up in their lives and rescuing them, then two chapters later they were back at their false idols and old tricks. Then a few chapters later they would come back, sing of redemption, then they were off again. I kept thinking, “Boy are these people lucky they are the promised people! Otherwise they’d be done!” It wasn’t until I came to chapter 58 that I began to see, really. It is this chapter where he says the people are “seeking Him out”, “eager to know his ways“ and wondering why God doesn’t see them in their “fasting” and “humility”. He goes on to explain that if you “do” the right thing but don’t have the heart and the actions behind it, it means nothing. So in today’s words: just going to church on Sunday mornings and singing, doesn’t mean you have worshipped or learned about God. Sitting and reading a devotion doesn’t mean you have internalized the message and will apply it. Just as the people of Israel openly defied what they knew was right, they also internally defied while giving the appearance that they were doing what was pleasing to the Lord. And yet, He forgave and redeemed these hard-headed people. Whether their defiance was open or internal, He forgave.
So what did I learn while I was fasting? I am Israel. I am coming to the Lord for the millionth time, praising Him for protecting me through the stupid things I have chosen to do, thanking Him for the strength it will take to deal with the consequences of those decisions, and asking Him to help me. Help me to stop worrying about finding ways to get the world to fall in love with me, and start finding ways that I can fall more in love with Him. For me, this means finding ways to love all that He has created and serving all that is His.
Isaiah 58:9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
I am Israel. I am a hard-headed, sinful, and guilty child of an unbelievably loving and redemptive Father whom I am learning to fall deeper in love with.
So, what have I learned? God loves me. Not only does He love me, but he wants to have a intimate relationship with me. That’s why He keeps calling me back, why He waits for me to ask Him for his input, and why He wants me to be all that I can be. I am Israel, and loved by my God!
What have you learned?”
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21 Day Fastposted
jan 22, 2010by Buckhead Church
January 22, 2010 at 11:07 am
Through the 21 day fast, I have learned that 21 days of giving up processed foods is so insignificant in comparison to what our Lord sacrificed for us. It has taught me that I need to open my eyes up more and more to those around me and that this life is really not about me, that this fast was not about me, it was not about my inconvenience or my needs.
It has taught me that if I consistently focused my time on worrying about and praying for other people rather than thinking about myself and being consumed by selfish thoughts that I would be able to help so many other people and lead people to God and help them to know him better, the best reward of all. I also realized how internalized I keep my relationship with God and how honestly, I have been scared or uncertain of how to share it with others, especially the non-Christians around Buckhead, as it’s not always the easiest or most socially acceptable conversation to approach. I want to be bolder and more fearless in reaching out to others and reveal my relationship with God in all that I do.
I have realized that I need to listen to God more, that he is always speaking to me, but I am selective in when I want to hear him.
And most importantly, I have realized that I would give up much more than breads and caffeine and ice cream in order to have a stronger relationship with God. Those things which seem so important in my day to day life are nothing in comparison to the love, mercy and complete acceptance that I receive from my Father on a daily basis. I am now listening for what he wants me to give up and am praying for complete obedience and trust in all that he asks of me, as I too am Israel. I pray the same for everyone else at Buckhead Church and in our community.
Thanks for the support through this time together!
It was awesome -
Amy
January 22, 2010 at 11:13 am
I learned that it is about Day 22…
This was my first “fast” and I have to say I struggled a bit. I didn’t have a hard time giving up the soda or the fast food or that alcohol, honestly I had a hard time feeling connected to God. I would read the daily stories on the blog and wonder, why am I not having these great moments of revelation? Am I not doing this right? I had no big “a-ha” moments or moments where I could hear God speak into my life. Shouldn’t I be getting some clarity here? I kept reminding myself that it wasn’t about me, but secretly I wanted it to be…just a little bit at least. Could I act more like a selfish child? Thankfully for me our Heavenly Father loves us with such patience and grace!
So going into day 21 I wasn’t sure how I felt or what I would take from this fast. Then last night during our prayer time together it hit me and it hit me hard. When Jeff asked us to stand if there is someone we have been praying for who doesn’t know Jesus, I stood up for my brother and my sister-in-law. And as both my friends and complete strangers placed their hands on me to pray, my heart broke for them and I cried. That is when it happened. That is when I realized that just as my heart is broken for these two people who I know and love, my heart needs to be equally broken for the 300,000 people I don’t know in our community who God knows and loves. These are God’s people just like the members of my own family. God longs for a relationship with them the way I long for my brother and his wife to know God. I also realized that I believe without a doubt that God can reach these 300,000 people and that means that He can reach the hearts of my brother and his wife as well. Praise God that ALL things are possible with Him!
I want nothing more then to look back on this year and think “only God”, so for my part I will spend day 22 and every day after running toward God with Jesus by my side and the Holy Spirit to lead the way. I have no idea what this will actually look like, but my heart is broken and for the first time in my life I am happy it is. Our hearts should break for the things that break God’s heart. Thank you Lord that my heart is truly and joyfully broken!
I thank God for these past 21 days and now I look forward to my heart and the hearts of all of His children pursuing Him on day 22 and every day after…
January 22, 2010 at 1:40 pm
I’ve learned and I just not only feel but I KNOW now that God is eager to connect with us deeper. This fast had helped me among other things to notice and develop the fruits of the spirit. It helped me to focus on who I’m becoming in God; to discover, get to know God and myself better. In other words to live Jesus in me. Let’s do it again!
January 22, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Last night was so special for me…
This whole 21 day journey has been..
Being in somewhat of a transition myself, there’s a lot of uncertainty of what tomorrow may bring and what expectations ought to be for 2010…
But starting the year off with a bit of “inconvenience” was just what I needed to be reminded of Who I’m going to really be leaning on this year..
Realizing now more than ever that I’m not really in control of anything, it’s even more evident that my will and my work and my exhausted efforts will not influence what happens…
Only God has the power to bless me.
And Only God has the power to change lives.
So, last night when we stood to pray for family and friends that don’t know Jesus, and when I stood bc of my current job and family transition that leaves question marks in the balance…
I stood with vulnerability and uncertainty…
But immediately, a hand touched my shoulder…
then another on my arm, and then another on my back, the other shoulder, the other arm… i was covered… surrounded…
and the Comforter reassured me that like the hands that held me there as I stood in our sanctuary, He too holds me steadfast…
Like the hands that surrounded me, He too is always all around me…
Even when I’m not sure He’s listening…
and even when I cast Him aside…
He’s there.
I will not do anything this year. But, HE who consumes us and is surrounding us with His glory- HE will do much. And, by grace, I will let Him.
Thanks for the journey Buckhead Church…
~T
January 22, 2010 at 9:57 pm
I really don’t like fasting. Changing up my daily routine and going “without” is an inconvenience and at times, very uncomfortable. I spend daily time with God, but the past 21 days when I’ve wanted that soda/sweets/one-of-the-other-things I was fasting from, I was burdened to *really* pray. My prayers can be pretty shallow and one-sided at times and this journey really pulled me out of that.
January 23, 2010 at 12:25 am
As I was reflecting on the fast and as I watched the video on the blog, I became frustrated in that no great revelation surfaced only a series of questions. Ultimately, I think the answer to these questions was the lesson I needed to learn and what will help me transition into day 22.
Why is it I have not fallen behind in my daily Bible study plan these last three weeks?
Why is it I have I been more prepared for all three small group meetings during the fast as compared to any of our meetings last year?
Why is it I have been consistent in journaling about the fast yet was so inconsistent in the past?
Why is it I have been able to manage the balance of time between work, family, and friends with greater ease?
Why is it I have been more troubled by what happened and is happening in Haiti as opposed to when the Tsunami occurred?
Why is it I have I been more willing to share my story and my faith in the workplace these last 21 days as compared to the last 21 months?
For me this lesson centered on the obvious, attention and intention. These last three weeks my attention and intention was directed toward something other than myself and simply centered on God. By consciously removing the some of the things I perceive to enrich my life, I recognized the one thing I need to guardedly treasure is my relationship with God. He simply wants to come first in my life. He is not honored when I give him what I have left at the end of my day as I pray or plead while drifting off to sleep. He is not honored with an hour on Sunday and a couple of hours on Tuesday night while I devote more time to what is stored on my DVR each week. He is dishonored when I repeatedly ask Him to play a supporting role in my story when all the while I should be honored just to be included whatever way He sees fit to use me in His story. He wants my attention, my focus, and my intentional effort to grow my relationship with Him. God’s not interested in a resolution I resolve to keep or goals I strive to achieve, He wants a commitment and the action and substance that results from it.
So as I transition from the fast, I’m excited to see what Easter Sunday will look like for me as I apply this lesson and make a commitment to put God first for the next 73 days. Thanks to everyone who participated and to all those prayed!
January 23, 2010 at 11:10 am
I think I primarily learned I could fast. Not that insightful really. I am a fairly undisciplined person. (My wife is the disciplined one. If I had fasted on my own, I probably wouldn’t have made it.)
I agree with Tom’s thoughts above. Not watching much tv, reading more, trying to pay attention to family and relationships shows that the extra stuff that I usually spend my time with really is a waste of “life”. Only so much time, use it well. (Oh, and I should probably start fasting regularly, or I will forget what I learned.)
January 24, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Great comments everybody. Here are my thoughts.
First, I have never fasted with this many people. It was very encouraging and motivating knowing that so many others were in this with me. Thanks!
Fasting is difficult, but joyful. And the joy far outweighed the inconvenience. I was reminded of the greatest commandment — to love God and people. By fasting and focusing on God and others, it put my heart in a great place to begin a new decade.
The other thing I learned is that fasting is really a daily thing. Simply walking moment by moment and listening to what God is teaching me daily is important, instead of just trying to get through to the next day.
I focused on these three verses from Hebrews 12: 1 – 3 during most of the fast: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Thanks again for being a part of this important season in the life of our church.
Jeff
February 1, 2010 at 12:25 pm
This was such a refreshing article to read. Thank’s for posting about what God is doing in your life and those around you. Keep the faith. Stay Humble.
Andrew Jones
http://whatisthebible.com