Doing a Sugar Fast Again? Why?

Day 2 of the 21-Day Sugar Fast

I shared with my youngest daughter that I’m doing the 21-Day Sugar Fast again. Her response was such a good question. “Again? Why?”

There’s a similar question in Isaiah 58:3: “Why have we fasted?”

I know why I decided to do this sugar fast again. Because I need a reset in every way, but mostly I need to reconnect with Jesus again. My relationship with Jesus needs to be number one in my life. I don’t think He has been in the last month. I’ve made other things more important.

Setback Again? Why?

Why the setback again when I desire to be healthy? Why haven’t I been writing when Jesus has called me to write for Him? Why do I choose to do things or not do things that undo so much of what I’ve worked so hard?

This sugar fast is not about losing weight. It’s not about expecting my writing to all of sudden just happen again. Although if God chooses to bless me in these ways, I’ll be grateful for the added bonus.

No, this sugar fast is about so much more. It’s about seeking Jesus to discover more of Him, to understand more about myself, and to humble myself again every day because I am a servant of Jesus, not the other way around.

True, I want to discover why I did what I hate to do. I had a setback for a reason, and I want to understand why, and what Jesus has to say about it all. Thankfully, Jesus isn’t wasting any time letting me know.

Broke the Yoke Again? Why?

On Day 2, Jesus revealed to me that when we fast with the right heart and mind, He will loosen the chains that are holding us captive. He will set us free from being oppressed, and He will break every yoke (Isaiah 58:6).

On Day 1, Jesus broke the yoke of disappointment. When I finally placed myself in front of Him and said I was sorry for disappointing Him with my choices, He loosened the chains that held me captive. Then He set me free from the lie that oppressed me for six weeks. With a humble heart and tears of relief, I exhaled gratefully and audibly in the quiet of my room.

Jesus broke that yoke of the lie of disappointment because He loves me. He loves you too. He sees what we do and why we do it. He knows why we relapse. He doesn’t want us to do what we do that causes a setback, but He does understand.

When we do relapse, He wants us to humble ourselves and go to Him so that we can discover why we choose to do what we do that leads to a setback.

Lies. Condemnation. Truth.

The enemy tends to get me too often with disappointment. He’s lied to and condemned me multiple times in my life regarding disappointing Jesus. I’m thankful Jesus reminded me there’s no more condemnation when we are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Jesus sees the trap that the enemy sets for us. He sees when we step into the trap rather than resist it. Yeah, once again I took the enemy’s bait. I was disappointed in myself. That’s the truth. But the enemy added to this and was condemning me for also disappointing Jesus. That was a lie. Unfortunately, I believed him.

Thankfully, with love, Jesus doesn’t mind breaking that yoke again that I tied myself to.

Commit to Fasting

If you are struggling doing what you don’t want to do, consider fasting. You don’t have to do a 21-Day Sugar Fast like I am, but I encourage you to fast. You could fast for just one day. Fasting is biblical and an important spiritual discipline. I have integrated fasting into my life for years, and it’s been a revelational experience. There’s power in prayer and fasting together.

You don’t have to fast from sugar. You could fast from something else you crave like drinking alcoholic beverages or shopping. You can fast from something you spend a lot of time doing like surfing social media or watching TV. The point is whatever you fast from should be sacrificial for you.

Commit for just one day. Fast, pray, and seek the Lord. Go to a quiet place, read Isaiah 58, and see what Jesus wants to reveal to you about why you do the things you do that lead to a relapse or a setback.

So Fast Again? Why?

Yes! Because it’s a way to place myself in a humble position at Jesus’ feet and let Him know I need Him. I need Him to help me to stop doing what I hate to do, show me why I’m struggling, and help me get back up and move forward again together with Him.