Fasting

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In the New Testament, some form of the word fast is used 20 times. The original Greek word was Nesteuo (νεστευο):
to abstain as a religious exercise from food and drink: either entirely, if the fast lasted but a single day, or from customary and choice nourishment, if it continued several days.

Nowadays the act of fasting has been extended to activities such as going to parties, being on the phone too much, or even reading. For the past few weeks a friend and I have been having breakfast together to catch up and to have time with God. We’ve been reading out of My Upmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers and praying over what his daily devotionals have been giving us. Out of this has come our desire to start fasting more. About two weeks ago we decided to have our first fast: to abstain from reading for a day. We had come to the conclusion that we spend too much time reading books for enjoyment and not enough time in the Word. Let me just say that we did not do so well. Yes, we did keep our fast, but instead of turning towards God when we felt the desire to pick up a book, we turned towards other ways of keeping us entertained. We didn’t grasp the meaning of a fast. So this past week after we had a week to talk openly about our first fast and how we didn’t truly understand it, we decided to try again. This time we would fast from all forms of social media for three days. Obviously we aren’t doing anything drastic, but we are choosing things that are distracting us from God, things that are making us forget about his love, glory, and grace. At times it was difficult; you don’t really realize how often you go to Facebook, Instagram, or Buzzfeed, until you aren’t supposed to. It had become such an instinct of mine to immediately open those apps. I started to realize that the times I was about to go onto one of these platforms, I was just trying to kill time out of boredom. Whenever I would catch myself in those moments I would flip open my Bible app, or put my phone away completely and just spend time with Jesus. It is astounding how the majority of what I do is just to fill time, to stave off boredom. That is not ok. I should not be trying to just get through the day, because all that leads to is tomorrow. How mundane and depressing would life be if it was just moving from one day to the next until your death? If these morning devotionals and talks have enlightened me on anything, it would be how gracious God is. I've begun to take notice and thank God for everything he does for me, and let's face it, he does practically everything for me, from waking me up in the morning, to allowing me to meet amazing and kindhearted people, and ultimately saving me daily from myself.  His absolute, unyielding love is incomprehensible. I understand now that I not only need to, but that I desire to spend more time with my amazing God. 

L O V E

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A general consensus of my single lady friends, young and younger, is that they are tired of being single. They question their beauty, their talents, their personalities, everything. They ask: What am I doing wrong? Why don't men like me? I just can not seem to attract any great men. My favorite recent line that came up in a conversation is that the men just are not lining up.

I go to a Christian University where the odds really are not in a girl's favor, I think the ratio is 8:1 women to men. I imagine that competing here would be like fighting in smog of hair straightening, primping, shaving, perfume, and powdery make-up (don't get me wrong, I definitely do all of those things). But, that is just it, we shouldn't be competing or better yet, feeling like we have to. Finding a man and getting married becomes a priority so much so that it has a place next to graduating college, and finding a good job, getting married becomes something that a person can just check off a list to feel successful or valuable.

Maybe some of you have tried and failed, have had really bad relationships and heart breaks, maybe some of you have just never dated anyone, or did but never for very long. Regardless of where you are in life, whether it's in high school, college, work or whatever, believe that God has a love picked out for you. If you are single find comfort in that. Pray for your relationship with God and build strong relationships with your girl friends. Don't walk around and scan every man that walks by you to see if they are marriage material. Don't think that any time a man opens a door for you that he could be the "one." Don't let anyone tell you that you are too picky. Don't let someone convince you that you need to date someone because everyone else is. Don't let yourself feel like you are less than beautiful because you do not have a man on your arm. Don't tell yourself that you need to date to become good at it or to "figure out what you like." And definitely don't tell yourself that you need a man.

Keep your standards because there is a man out there that is better than even the best man that you can imagine. If you are single my suggestion is to stay single until God presents your husband to you. A friend of mine that I met on a mission trip told me while I was in my own puddle of doubt and pity because I have always been single and had never been kissed, that this was actually a beautiful blessing. She said how wonderful it would be to have only ever dated and given your heart away to one man. This changed everything for me, I never thought that a man would appreciate my heart as a gift. But, now I do. Ladies, hold out, if there is a man that you are "talking to" but you don't see yourself marrying, then stop while you are ahead. Your love is a gift, give it to the one that God picked out for you, the one that God has been molding and training from birth, to fit you, lead you, and make you a better person. You don't need to compete against all the girls in the world for all the men in the world. And, you don't need the men to line up outside your door and take a number for a date with you, you only need one man to do this--the best man for you. Ladies, stand together, empower and lead one another. If a class mate get's a "ring by spring" then be happy for her, pray for her marriage, this is what God planned for her and her fiance, and take heart, he is planning things for you too.

Trust your gut, trust your head and your heart, and most of all trust God. I believe that God is faithful; that he knows what is on your heart, and if love is a desire of yours then God is already a million steps ahead of you. Seek your relationship with God; find your worth in him and not in all of your accomplishments. Lastly, pray for your future husband and get excited for even more blessings.

"Oh, let me warn you sisters in Jerusalem, by the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer: Don't excite love, don't stir it up, until the time is ripe--and you're ready." Song of Solomon 3:5 Msg.