Personal Fasts to Achieve Higher Standards

As a Christian, I am called to higher standards than what the world considers "normal." And I am sorry to say that I have been failing at truly living up to those standards. Sure, I do better than some people but a relationship is NOT, by ANY MEANS something you go about and only put half of your heart and effort into. I don't want to just go through the motions as far as my relationship with God goes. I don't want to do just enough to get by and call it good. He has called me to so much more than that and I'm tired of failing to live up to his standards, which are also my standards.

My heart has been unsettled lately. I have been battling out some spiritual warfare and attacks from Satan and myself! I have felt these areas that I have been lacking in my heart but have not done anything about them. This has caused a lot of confusion and turmoil in my spirit. But God called me out on that tonight and after chatting with him for a while and letting him guide my heart, I came to the conclusion that a lot of much needed fasting is the solution to the confusion and slacking in my life.

I don't just mean fasting from food. During this week (at least this week, maybe longer for some things) I am going to be fasting from several different things that have become a distraction or obstacle in my life. This includes facebook, self-image, and one on one communication with guys.

• FACEBOOK: I don't really need to explain fasting from Facebook since so many people do it, and I'm not going to go on and on about it because I hate it when people make a big show out of quitting facebook. But I won't be on my personal facebook account because it is just too much of a distraction from spending time with God.
• SELF-IMAGE: You're probably wondering how I plan on fasting from self-image. Well I got the idea from a facebook event called, "Confidence Week." I decided that I am going to spend this week not looking in mirrors as much as possible, not wearing make-up or jewelry, and dressing simply. Why? I'm hoping that by doing this it will take my focus off of my own appearance to other people and it will be more on what's on the inside and whether or not what's on the inside pleases the only one that can see it.... GOD! I need to put my confidence in him and not myself!
• COMMUNICATION WITH GUYS: Lastly (I'm sure this one is going to be the most controversial) I am going to fast from communcation with guys. And not only romantic relationships with guys, but also friendships (no matter how innocent) with guys. This is NOT because I am a guy hater! This is because I can't trust my own heart not to betray God's will for me. And this is by no means a reflection of the guy friends that I have currently! This is only because my heart greatly desires to have a romantic relationship right now and I know that this is not in God's plans for my life currently. I can't trust my heart not go against God's will and so I feel the best way to be wholly devoted to God and truly focus on giving him my whole heart is to cut out communication with my guy friends for a while. This fast will probably last longer than a week (if it didn't, it wouldn't make much of a difference). This does not mean if I encounter you in person I am going to ignore you! This means that I am not going to communicate with you one on one via texting or facebook or phone calls or anything else. This means I am not going to hang out one on one with you. The only communcation will be in purely group settings. I hope you can understand that this is what I PERSONALLY need to do in order to devote my whole heart to only God without my heart entertaining or pursuing the thought of having a romantic relationship with a guy. I am not sure how long this fast will last but I will let you know when it ends. Please do not try to contact me during this time, I won't respond. Again, this is no reflection on you! This is what I need to do for me and my relationship with my God!

During the rest of this week of fasting I am going to devote random days to other sorts of fasting. For example, I will spend two days fasting from electronics in general, two days fasting from food, and one day fasting from speaking. (Why from speaking? To focus on listening and observing instead of saying the first thing that comes to my mind)

And what will I be doing in all the extra time I'll have from cutting the rest of this out of my life? SPENDING TIME WITH MY CREATOR WHO LOVES ME! (and homework..... but mostly God.... because he's more important!) That's the purpose behind all this fasting, to live up to the higher standards that God has called me to and to get my relationship with him back on track! Because all of the distractions in my life has thrown it off track.

PRAY FOR ME as I start this week of fasting and hold me accountable! I am anxious to see what God does in my life during this week and weeks to come. I firmly feel he has called me to these fasts so that I can live up to his standards. Thank you for your prayers.

Blessings,
Lindsey