Fasting and its Benefits

As I am working, learning and embracing myself through my new role, I never imagined some of the wildest things that I've had to endure, mentally and spiritually. Of course, there is the statement, " New levels, new devils." However, I didn't t think that was going to ever apply to me. I am used to working in different industries like: hospitality, teaching, sports, education, and etc where this statement never would have applied (this has only been my life though). But this was me fully applying my degree to a whole new position, and utilizing it in order to grow, and while also gaining new knowledge in this field. However, there were some things that were going to be coming my way spiritually and physically, and I had no choice but to deal with the storms. No one ever warns you that once you move to new heights in life that there are new trials awaiting at your doorstep. The new devils are always setting up traps in order for you to fall. The question then becomes: Well how do I handle this? Unfortunately, you can't handle all storms and trials the same. Each level requires a new way to handle different challenges. My new way was to start fasting and start it immediately. What I was dealing with were two obstacles (mental and physical) that I had never faced before and both incidents hit me one after the other. If I would have gave in to the obstacles that were thrown at me, the outcome of my choices would have been destructive for my future and hurtful to other people's present..

So, I made the conscience decision to fast, which is to deprive myself of something I desired or made apart of my daily routine in order to focus in on the problem, pray about it, and see what result would be presented to me. This decision was necessary because no matter how much I talked about what I was going through with close friends, no one truly understood me. No one could provide an answer that seemed to match my circumstance. There seem to be a lot of judgement in certain people's hearts and that would come out in our conversations. Answers and guidance were what I needed but I couldn't receive that from anyone that I knew. So I went to God and started fasting on a level that I have never done before. It's easy to give up soda and cookies during Easter. But this time around, I pulled back from eating during the day, every day, for a week straight. This was a challenge because I am a major foodie and I also love eating breakfast. Another fast I did pushed me to stop listening to any secular music and I removed my interaction on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat). I take in so much content from social media that my mind is never focused on the right things sometimes. Some post can be heartbreaking while others are very sentimental. And though I love gassing my friends up on social media, I had to pull off of it. This was drastic for me, but necessary because I had to act with urgency and focus on what was important. The result? Well, with one situation, I didn't receive the answer that I wanted right away until I started to become more grateful. I allowed my heart to be changed and what followed afterwards was my change in language (being more positive and peaceful). Interesting, huh..... For the other situation, I had a chance to really analyze everything for what it is and understand that acting on impulse can sometimes destroy your present position (and future one) you worked so hard to get to. For me, since I am a faith based woman, I also had to recognize that God had done so much in my life and the fast really made me aware of how far I had come to get to where I am now. Why would I want to mess anything up?! Without the fast, I wouldn't have been able to come these conclusions. It's crazy how life works.

Life will require you to fast sometimes, even if you feel that it will be difficult to do in the beginning. But there are benefits to it, if you choose to go through with them. The first benefit is that you can receive clarity. Most people I know who do fast usually want clarity on any decision they are going to make in life. The second benefit is that you have eliminated distractions that would have taken your mind to different places instead of focusing on what is in front of you. Distractions will derail you and cause you not to achieve certain goals that you had set for yourself and your family! The third benefit is the gift of peace. The peace that you receive during this time is literally unexplainable but it is well deserved. The fourth benefit of fasting is a higher understanding of your self. This helps with knowing who you are and figuring out if something is serving you or taking away from the love, joy and peace you've created in your life. The last benefit is not only a resolution, but a new perspective of the outcome. This will direct you on how to properly move forward. And I must admit, not every fast is going to be the same and not every fast can be a quick fast. Some may require longer time periods in order to get certain results. You may not like the clarity that you receive either. This requires honesty with ourselves. But if we choose to be better people in life, not only to ourselves but also to others, honesty and awareness of what needs to change, how we can handle new obstacles, will be the first few steps on how we can become better. It all starts from within.

The statement started with, " New levels, new devils." But I am going to add and change it a slight bit to, "New levels requires new tools to handle new devils." Either way, this season in my life required the fasting tool and it was and still is a major benefit to my life. Hopefully it can benefit you!