John Stott explained that “in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us how to fast, on the assumption that we would” (A Deeper Look at the Sermon on the Mount). There are times when we want to dismiss the idea of fasting as an Old Testament ritual, more religion than faith: not for Christians but Pharisees. But Stott is adamant. Christ said “when,” not “if” we fast (Matthew 6:16).
Then again, a Christian counselor might suggest that someone who has recovered from an eating disorder choose some other way to observe Lent or a different interpretation of “fasting” besides avoiding meals. Meanwhile, fasting could be the catalyst, which sets an eating disorder in motion.
What Is Lent and Why Do Believers Fast?
“Fasting is voluntarily going without food — or any other regularly enjoyed, good gift from God — for the sake of some spiritual purpose,” explains David Mathis. Those spiritual purposes, laid out by Stott in his study of Matthew 5, include:
- Repentance of sin.
- Desperate need for direction or deliverance.
- Deeper communion with the Lord, removed from distractions.
According to Mathis, a fast takes us away from our present experience in the “battle against the sin and weakness inside us. We express our discontent with our sinful selves and our longing for more of Christ.”
Fasting can be done privately such as when Christ went into the wilderness following his baptism (Matthew 4). It can be done corporately such as when Esther called for the Jewish women of Susa to fast with her (Esther 4:16).
Moses, like Christ, fasted for 40 days and nights (Exodus 34:28). The duration of fasts in the Bible is not always determined; these periods of fasting were exceptionally long, but each circumstance was exceptional.
Moses had gone up to be with the Lord and receive his commandments. Christ was about to embark on his ministry.
What Is an Eating Disorder?
According to the American Psychiatric Association, “Eating disorders are behavioral conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions.”
Disorders include overeating; excessive self-denial or starvation; eating and purging; or hyper-regulated eating such as strict calorie counting or eating only a very small selection of foods.
What looks like a healthy diet becomes an obsession (an eating disorder) when eating other foods is a source of stress and the behavior is prolonged.
Eating disorders are extensions of deeper problems. For example, when life feels chaotic, anorexics can at least control one thing in their lives: their ability to say “no” to food.
Overeaters find comfort in food, but bulimics seek relief and release by purging with laxatives, throwing up, or by punishing themselves with hours of exercise.
Krista Dunham, who recovered from an eating disorder, wrote, “I longed for what it promised me — control, acceptance, affirmation, and achievement — yet my heart constantly cried out for an alternative” (Table for Two: Biblical Counsel for Eating Disorders).
Eating disorders emerge from a number of sources, including pressure to be thin, sexual abuse, some kind of trauma, or the aggregate weight of many small concerns. As with an addiction to alcohol or drugs, these behaviors become all-consuming and life-threatening.
Life revolves around the subject of what to eat and where the stress of eating with other people. Going out for dinner with friends is an impossibility.
How Can Fasting Lead to an Eating Disorder?
For individuals with an eating disorder, fasting represents one of at least two things: pride and shame.
In fasting, one finds a legitimate reason not to eat. There is pride in being able to exert so much control over one’s (natural and healthy) desire for food.
For an overeater, however, food is a source of comfort in some way, even purging after a binge. A biblical fast seems impossible and, before it has even begun, the participant is prepared to fail.
How Can This Lead to an Eating Disorder?
If one is already prone to using food as short-term relief from stress or is inclined towards periods of self-denial but is not yet caught in an obsessive cycle of self-denial, fasting could be the tipping point. This is also true for one who has recovered from an eating disorder.
One knows intellectually that God is in control and that he is the source of all comfort; that he does not want us to punish ourselves. But the Christian is simply a human being and forgets these truths.
If one successfully punishes herself or controls her appetite, a disordered cycle could begin here, with an improper posture and a distorted idea of how God sees his children. If weight drops and people make affirming comments, this motivates one to continue avoiding food.
Perhaps one appears gaunt, as though she is suffering, encouraging concern from others. This concern is the attention an individual is craving.
If she is unable to maintain the fast, then it might seem fitting to purge the food as a means of self-punishment. Or the individual could feel so ashamed that the only comfort (now that he or she has been unable to maintain control) is to eat.
Signs that could indicate that a fast has become disordered or has strayed from a biblical purpose are both physical and spiritual and include:
- Boasting about the fast — this should be a private matter.
- Dizziness and/or fainting.
- Severe headaches.
- Checking the scale frequently and becoming excited, even motivated, by weight loss.
- Thinking about food (how to avoid it or how to deceive others) all the time.
Biblical counselors might suggest abstaining from a traditional fast where the temptation is simply too great, or recovery is too recent.
The Better Fast
There is no such thing as “failure” where fasting is concerned. The objective is to grow closer to God in some way and to glorify him. The Lord does not celebrate self-denial as a kind of accomplishment.
When fasting becomes a reason for self-congratulation, for thinking about food constantly, or for feeling worthless, this is not a biblical fast but a purely superficial, religious act. “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others” (Matthew 6:16).
A better fast is one in which the Lord is central. It is a worshipful choice. The individual asks “how will God be glorified by this?” Here are a few ways in which one can glorify Jesus with a fast:
1. Humility: recognizing personal weakness, leads one to ask God for discernment, direction, and help to overcome hunger.
2. Joy: the believer, in his or her need, finds that God is always near and always open to a humble heart.
3. Repentance: When one’s sin is brought to light, this leads to sorrowful repentance.
4. Discernment and direction: both lead to praise and thanks.
5. Sabbath: the participant feels a deep sense of rest.
An Alternative Fast
At some point, fasting might be feasible for a person who has recovered from an eating disorder. But until the intense danger has passed, a different fast might be advisable.
Instead of giving up all food for a number of days, one might consider abstaining from just one food; one which represents an idol.
Perhaps money can be saved by giving up coffee for a week or cooking meals at home instead of eating out could be donated to a worthy cause. Perhaps the idol is a regular treat.
Maybe one could deny herself TV or social media. The Lord will reveal his will and direction through prayer and study of his Word.
Fasting should be difficult, but not for the sake of difficulty: only to foster reverence, gratitude, and love for Christ; to encourage a deeper understanding of one’s need for him.
This might involve doing something challenging every day for a period of time: writing in a prayer journal dedicated to a particular individual or situation; volunteering a certain amount of time throughout the week to serve in the church or in the community.
In an ideal world, one would eventually see these activities, not as duties required of them, but as gifts given to them. They could become long-term spiritual disciplines.
But in order for these activities to be like a “fast,” there will be an element of sacrifice; the sense that one has given up time for a purpose she would not naturally be concerned about.
Fasting is not the objective in the first place but is an instrument by which the Christian’s reliance upon God grows deeper, more reverent, more personal, and immediate.
Not Oppression but Devotion
Why are you fasting? Should you fast? If the answer is anything other than glory to God, praise to Jesus, seeking his will and his direction, then pause for a minute. Consider the possibility that this is not a good time to fast.
Eating disorders do not honor the Lord. Christ took our punishment; we do not need to punish ourselves. And God is in control — we cannot wrest this from him by refusing his good gifts. He will still be on the throne.
For further reading:
Can Fasting Be Healthy and Holy?
What Should Christians Know about Eating Disorders?
Why Does the World Care about My Weight When God Doesn't?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Liudmila Chernetska
Candice Lucey is a freelance writer from British Columbia, Canada, where she lives with her family. Find out more about her here.