Say No

“But I want it!” The little boy screamed at the top of his lungs. The moment his mother said "no," his world collapsed and the brightly lit toy aisle erupted into chaos as his screams turned into a full-blown tantrum. The shiny action figure (the one he’d been eyeing all week) sat on the shelf just beyond his grasp as if to tease him. His face turned red and he dropped to the floor, kicking his legs and wailing at the injustice of it all. Passersby looked on in shock while his fellow toddlers gave sympathetic nods of approval but he was too wrapped up in his emotions to care. His sole mission was to make his mom realize just how much he wanted that toy. Giving in to the stress of it all, she finally relented thus securing him yet another victory.

It’s easy to judge the mom for caving in. After all, kids can’t have everything they want. That’s an obvious lesson but how many of us have actually learned it? Denying yourself is the hardest thing for anyone to do but it’s exactly what Jesus said we must do. “…If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” (‭‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭34‬). Notice that Jesus said we must take up our own cross but what exactly does that mean? He was telling us that we have to stop giving into what we want. We have to tell ourselves no. An obvious example of temptation is lusting after someone. It’s the one desire that ends most marriages and careers but there are so many other desires we fall prey to like greed and power.

Oh, and let’s not forget about food. It’s the one desire we quench daily. How many times have you ate a doughnut and immediately lifted the Krispy Kreme lid for another one? Surely, you’ve dared to prove Lays wrong but found out no one can eat just one. Most of us couldn’t imagine giving up our faves let alone have the self-discipline needed for fasting. I’m not talking about fasting to lose weight or for other selfish reasons. When we fast as Christians we humble ourselves by setting aside physical comforts and distractions which enables us to draw closer to God. It also helps us discern God’s will. We pray about things we may not normally pray about because fasting changes and strengthens our prayers as we focus on God instead of our needs. 

Jesus fasted for forty days before being challenged by Satan (Luke 4:1-14). Jesus’ trial in the dessert gave us a perfect example of how our strength comes from God and not ourselves. Every temptation Jesus faced he quelled by scripture. Even in his weakened physical state he powerfully answered Satan “…It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” ‭‭(Matt 4‬:‭4‬). The way to beating our temptations is found in the scriptures for God’s word is alive and active (Heb 4:5). By fasting and prayer the Holy Spirit grows ever stronger within us and we gain the ability to deny ourselves just like Jesus. If you haven’t, you should look into adding fasting to your spiritual war chest so on the days you’re at your weakest you’ll still have the power to say no.  

Think about it.