Day Eleven of Nick Park’s series of teachings – “Slow Down to Fast”
You can read the previous days’ teachings Here
Self-control is an important aspect of the Christian life that is encouraged in both the Old and New Testaments. Indeed, it is listed among the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). Yet we live in a society where self-control is often viewed as something quaint and old-fashioned. We are encouraged, through advertising, to believe that our desires and impulses can be instantly gratified.
Many people feel that their lives are spiralling out of control, with forces, that they can do nothing about, controlling their destinies.
In the Book of Daniel we read about four young men who seemed to have no control whatsoever over how their lives would go. Daniel, and three other young men, were captives of the Babylonians. They had lost their homeland, the Temple which was the focal point of their faith, and even their Hebrew names were taken from them. Indeed, it is very likely that they were also physically mutilated to serve as eunuchs in the royal palace. It must have seemed as if they were helplessly caught up in the plans of others.
But Daniel resolved that there was one thing in his out-of-control life that he could still control – and that was the food that he ate.
Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way. (Daniel 1:6-8)
The young men that were being groomed for the king’s service were expected to follow a prescribed diet. They were like athletes or bodybuilders whose nutritional intake was carefully monitored. If their health suffered through any variation in this diet, then they would face severe punishment, as would the officials who were supposed to be keeping them in peak condition. So Daniel was pursuing a risky strategy.
Yet Daniel’s resolution would prove to be the catalyst which would catapult him and his three companions into positions of power and royal favour. Not only that, it would pave the way for the Jewish people to be shown tolerance from a series of foreign rulers that ultimately enabled them to maintain their separate identity as a nation. And that separate identity, of course, was vital if God’s promises of a Messiah were to be fulfilled.
So, if you are struggling to demonstrate self-control in your life, or if outside forces seem to be carrying you in a direction you really don’t want to go, then fasting can be the beginning of a much-needed change. You can, by determining what food and drink passes your lips, begin to regain control of your future.
