To Fast or Not to Fast, That is the Question?



Associated with LENT but not confined to LENT, fasting is a difficult spiritual discipline to practice with children because it could be criticized as an interruption in nutrition and a possible lead into eating disorders. Children experience eating jags and strong likes/dislikes which frustrate parents. Getting children to eat and eat healthy is a parent’s goal. Older folks remember being told “clean your plate, there are starving children in the world.” Discussion about the practice of “fast” should be entered carefully and age-appropriately.

     Young children can relate to the word “breakfast” or “breaking fast”.  Yes, the first meal of the day is “breakfast” because we break the fast from the evening meal the day before. Typical time between daily meals is 4-6 hours. Time between the evening meal and the next morning’s meal is 10-12 hours. Go from supper to breakfast with only water. Forego the “evening-snack” and spend that time reading a Bible story or singing a hymn. 

     Older children understand the cost of food and food scarcity some experience. Giving up a treat or snack or dessert and placing the money, which would have been spent on that treat, in a jar and donating the monies to a food bank is a way this age group can practice fasting.

     Teenagers often go without food because they are too busy or are trying to lose weight. This is not fasting nor is it healthy. Teenagers need family support when fasting to make certain of a healthy purpose and that there is a beginning and end to the fast.

    Whenever you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites who look miserable and disfigure their faces in order to impress others (Matthew 6:16).

     Jesus is not telling us not to fast but is saying we need to fast for the right reasons. The reason for fasting is to bring us closer to God, by taking something out of our lives to make time for God. We then can fast by not watching TV or limiting time on tablets and using the time gained to learn about God, talk to God, or do God’s work.

     Our job with children is not to demonstrate how to righteously fast but to demonstrate fasting for the right reason.

Blessisgs,

Lynne Pabst

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