Master your body and make it your slave

Now fifthly, to offer fasting that God has chosen, you should master your body and make it your slave while you are fasting. Isaiah 58:3-5 says, “Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers. “Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high. “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?”

If you look for entertainment, exploit your workers, quarrel and fight with each other when you fast, what will God say to you? God laments saying, “How can this be fasting that I have chosen?” and “How can I answer to you?” Today, some people watch TV dramas or show programs and enjoy themselves taking worldly entertainments while they are fasting. They judge their brothers and neighbors and talk badly about them. They talk about worldly things, and so they speak useless words and jokes. Sometimes they quarrel and fight with other people and get angry at them while they are fasting. Then, this can never be a fast that God has chosen no matter how much you fast.

Fasting is risking your lives and is such a humble act asking God’s grace relying upon Him only. Therefore, you should fast with all your heart and mind and strength, and act within God’s will so that God will be moved by your acts.

In my case, I cleaned my body and mind and put on clean clothes before I started fasting. I never usually speak useless words, but I paid more attention to my words and acted more humbly. Until the end of the fasting, I did not contact anything worldly, not even newspapers. Especially, when I fasted for 40 days, God inspired me not to take even Christian books, so I took only the Bible and the Hymn book.

Generally, when the members fast for a short time, they usually have to keep doing the works in their work places and houses. They can do it because they should be faithful in all God’s house, but they cannot do it in case of long-term fasting. It is because you should not do any hard work during the long-term fasting, and it is also because you must not contact any worldly things but control yourself and concentrate on learning God’s words and on prayers. You must not either quarrel with any body or get angry.

You should not talk about worldly things and things about other people, or take any worldly entertainment. Therefore, you cannot fast for a long time keeping your daily work routines. You should not only control yourself and fast, but also be joyful with truth, and you should hope and believe, standing firmly within the truth from the first day till the end of it. You should share your food with the hungry and provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, you should clothe him, and not turn away from your own flesh and blood.

Namely, God will pleasingly receive your fast when you do good while you fast. Conclusively, you should fast with all your mind, heart, and soul so that God will receive it pleasingly. When you fast that God has chosen, you will not feel difficult or bored, but your spirit will be full of the Holy Spirit with God’s grace because you think of God only. Also, you can control your body not to feel tired with your spirit because you are hoping for the answer with faith.

God helps you looking at that faith, and His power comes down from above so that you will overcome. But, just as when I fasted for 40 days, if you can overcome with your own will and faith, God sometimes does not give His power to make him or her stronger, or to receive that fasting more greatly. But this does not usually happen.

Pastor Emeritus Dr. Jaerock Lee

Prayer Sermon