What can fasting teach us about work and leadership?
If we fail to fast, we may miss out on many blessings. If we fast wisely, it can make us better employees and leaders. It can also help us cope with the challenges we face.
“What’s in it for me?” is a key question when we’re considering what to buy, read, or get involved in. When it comes to fasting, however, this question leads us in the wrong direction. Fasting is not primarily about what you can gain, but more about shifting your focus away from yourself and your own needs and onto God.
On a cold January day in 1961, John F. Kennedy addressed the American people. “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country,” he said. Fasting is, in the same way, about seeking what belongs to God. It is precisely when we give up our own and seek what His will is that we can find the greatest freedom of all. Jesus said, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Matt 10:39)
Much symbolism
In the traditional denominations, we are now in the midst of the Lenten season. Lent begins 40 days before Easter and lasts until Easter Day, when we celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection. Many of us hardly think about what this time means. In our desire to have a living relationship with Jesus, we have cast aside many of the old traditions of our faith. When we do so, however, we risk throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Lent is rich in symbolism that can tell us who God is, what Jesus did, and what role we ourselves play. The 40 days can remind us of the time when Jesus was in the wilderness and was eventually tempted by Satan. Or of the 40 days of rain that caused all other life to drown whilst Noah, his family, and representatives of all the world’s animals were inside the ark. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai when he received the Ten Commandments. And the people of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years before they entered the Promised Land. After Jesus had risen, he spent 40 days with his disciples, teaching them about the Kingdom of God.
Jesus, who had a closer relationship with his Father than any of us, fasted. It also seems that he expects us who follow him to fast. “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full,” he warns in the Sermon on the Mount. Then he urges us to “put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matt 6:17-18.
Why fast?
The Bible is full of examples of people who fast. As we study these stories, we may learn about situations in which we can fast, both at work and elsewhere.
Jesus fasted for 40 days right at the start of his ministry. It was probably a time of preparation for all that lay ahead. Might it be a good idea to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and set aside a few days of fasting before we embark on new or greater tasks at work or at home? Before we started Tent International, we spent several days fasting and seeking God, because we needed to know for certain that this was His will. Not long afterwards, we received the answer we were waiting for.
The church in Corinth fasted and prayed before sending out Paul and Barnabas as missionaries. Should we, following this Biblical example, also set aside time for fasting and prayer before we hire or select new team members?
In the Old Testament, fasting is often used alongside prayer during times of crisis. Moses fasted for 40 days on Mount Sinai when he received the Ten Commandments. Ezra, one of the leaders God used to rebuild Jerusalem, called on the people to fast and humble themselves as they travelled back to Jerusalem, seeking God’s special protection. King Jehoshaphat asked the people to fast when external enemies threatened the nation he led. Queen Esther asked everyone to fast when the Jewish people were threatened with extermination. King David fasted whilst praying that God would spare the life of the son he had fathered with Bathsheba.
Having the right focus is crucial
As we can see, the Bible contains extensive testimony regarding fasting. It emphasises that fasting is important both as a general spiritual discipline and in specific situations. At the same time, the Bible warns against fasting to draw attention to ourselves. Jesus asks us to live ordinary lives even whilst we fast, so that no one else notices that we are fasting (Matt 6:17-18). Isaiah 58 emphasises that we cannot fast and act against God’s will at the same time (Isa 58:1-5). From Isa 58:6 onwards, God describes the kind of fasting He wants people to practise. The text is a call to do good and to put an end to everything that is against God’s will.
“In the biblical world, fasting functioned as symbolic bodily purification, deepening humanity’s bond with God whilst raising awareness of human suffering and expressing solidarity with those who suffer, always accompanied by hospitality, generosity, and charity,” write Jenny Eaton Dyer and Cathleen Falsani in their book “The End of Hunger: Renewed Hope for Feeding the World” (IVP, 2018).
Personally, I am glad to serve a God who cares so much about people’s physical living conditions, their well-being, and how we treat one another. Praise the Lord for that!
How to fast?
So how can we manage to fast in a busy everyday life where we need all our energy to carry out our tasks properly? Let’s first dispel a myth. Fasting does not necessarily result in less energy. The feeling of hunger is usually strongest at the beginning. If you fast for several days, it will diminish each day due to natural bodily processes. During periods of longer fasting, the ability to focus – and thus to work productively and effectively – can actually be greater than when eating normally. Shorter fasts should have no impact on work capacity. There is therefore no reason to feel guilty or think that fasting reduces our ability to work well.
Fasting in secret if you have a family or a job with many colleagues can be difficult. If you are only fasting for a couple of meals, it is not a problem. You could, for example, go to work early so that your family does not notice you are fasting. At work, you can run an errand or arrange an online meeting so that you “miss” your lunch break. If, on the other hand, you are fasting for several days, you will probably still need to inform those who are bound to notice that you aren’t eating.
If you aren’t used to fasting, it’s best to start small. For example, you could start by fasting from lunch one day until lunch the next, or skip breakfast and lunch, then eat again in the evening. Once you’ve built up your ability to fast, you can decide to fast for several days. Remember that the feeling of hunger is strongest at the start, but it will subside over time.
Seek God above all else
Resolve to seek God while you fast. This is the main point of fasting. Is there something you need an answer to, or something you need to be set free from? Seek God’s guidance in it. More than any other spiritual activity, fasting can help us develop discipline. Most of us are used to giving in to our needs. If we are hungry, we eat, even though we may not need food. By fasting, we take control of our body and refuse to heed all the signals it sends.
“Fasting teaches discipline by controlling our most basic appetite, thereby educating our desires and disciplining our needs,” states Enzo Bianchi in his book “Words of Spirituality: Exploring the Inner Life” (SPCK Publishing, 2012).
The discipline one experiences is often reflected in other areas of life where we also need it. Fasting can show us which areas of life we need to work on.
“More than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us,” writes Richard J. Foster in the book “Celebration of Discipline” (Harper One, Kindle Edition, 2018).
Finally
Let us, however, return to the starting point. “What’s in it for me?” is not the right question to ask if you are considering fasting. Both the purpose and the goal must be to seek God and His will. We leave the final word to Richard J. Foster:
“Let fasting be done unto the Lord with our eyes singly fixed on Him. Let our intention herein be this, and this alone, to glorify our Father who is in heaven….” That is the only way we will be saved from loving the blessing more than the Blesser.” (Celebration of Discipline, Harper One, 2018).
Recommended books:
“Celebration of Discipline. The Path to Spiritual Growth” by Richard Foster.
“Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us” by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun.