Fasting and praying for GOD

From blog.uniquedove.com:

Hello friends,

This is the weekly email reminder that we are praying and fasting tomorrow for God to change us where we need changing; give the gift of marriage to those of us who desire it; and work redemption in men, bringing them to the place where they can love, honor and commit to a woman. Some are fasting lunch, some are fasting all day, some are fasting until dinner... fast and pray however you feel God's leading. And, if you can, find someone to pray with you.

Its Easter Sunday, and the reality of Jesus' resurrection, a miracle in the truest since of the word, is our celebration today. He rose from the grave. He conquered death. That's the reality that we live in as followers of Christ. We follow a God who is life himself, and who calls us to live in the reality of his life and love.

But so often we don't. Or, more personally, so often I don't. Instead, I choose to create my own reality in my head in the form of imagined possibilities of what God might do, things he might bring into my life. Honestly, by God's grace, I've gotten a lot better at not doing this, but this was one of my main temptations a single woman. I often sought to mitigate the pain of singleness through imagining a really cool redemption God could work in some past relationship, or a great possibility of connection with the latest man- whoever he was- who had caught my eye. I would get lost in daydream of what I hoped might be, rather than choosing to live in the reality of what IS- who God IS, who God IS for me, and the many good things God IS doing in my life (even if not in the romantic realm!)

I am sure none of you can relate, right?!?!

About a year and a half ago God started convicting me that this was wrong--letting my mind obessess about possibilities, rather than dwelling in reality. I started working harder to take control of my thoughts, reigning them into the present. And I chose to let go of the hope of redemption of past relationships, and instead "walk forward" in what to me felt like an empty space of no possibilities. I asked God to give me faith that he could create something new and good out of nothing. And I took some time to ponder why hanging out in my oh-so-well-developed imagination is actually fairly destructive to my soul. Looking back in my journal, I found my list from December 31 2008, so I thought I'd share it with you. A wrongly placed life of the imagination, I wrote, is destructive because

1) Its self centered- You the center of your universe and you your main focus in your thoughts. Self centeredness is always wrong. God calls us to more- to be focused on him, and to pour out our lives for others.

2) It sets you up as your own god, and you become your own creator. God is our Creator. He defines reality for us. He puts what he wants in our lives, and takes out what is not good for us. He gives us what we need, what is best for us. A self centered life of the imagination is really a way of playing God, defining your own reality . That's wrong.

3) Its idolatry. Its very hard not to idolize marriage, or a particular man, when you are investing so much of your thought life into imagining possibilities. What you dwell on mentally is typically what your heart worships. God calls us to worship him alone, as he alone is LIFE. Nothing else will bring us life, even though it may feel like it at the time...

4) Its misplaced hope. Your hope and my hope is not in a man (if you're single) or certain situation or specific set of events. Our hope is in God, a God who passionately loves us and abundantly provides for us, and meets us in our pain. He's present, he's working, he's in control, and he's our hope.

5) Living mentally in imagined possibilities weakens your ability to navigate real life. Its a subtle sabotage, but if you've invested a lot of mental energy in what the "one" will be like, your mind and heart can fool you into turning down perfectly good REAL men because you're hooked by an imagined man. I am sure I did this many times, and I've seen my girlfriends, and some guy friends, do the same. Its like pornography- the "idealized perfect" robs you of the ability to enjoy the imperfect wonderfulness of someone real. Reality can never measure up to fantasy.

My challenge to you- and to myself- is to "set your mind on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" this Easter Sunday. Live in the reality of the resurrection, the reality of God's goodness. That is where life is found.

Blessings to you-

Anne