Fasting has always been a strange subject. For followers of religions such as Buddhism, Islam or Catholicism, fasting is a ritual – practically a rule or a command. Some people unpleased with their exterior fast as a diet in spite of the serious health problems that follow. I personally look at fasting differently than such.

In The Rider’s recent story about fasting, a Muslim student and football player struggles as he is not allowed to eat or drink anything during daylight hours for a month. To me it is almost scary how Muslims aren’t even allowed to drink water during these hours; I fear for their health. So to hear such an amazing story about someone making it through strenuous football practices along with the other tasks of a day is quite amazing. Hope rises for the well-being of all Muslims when one teenager achieves such astounding levels of will and perseverance.

Then for some religions such as Catholicism, people are prompted to fast during the 40-day period called Lent. These fasts normally mean giving up all meat, but some people go through this period abstaining from candy, soda or even video games.

I, however, don’t see fasting as an obligation. The Muslim reasoning behind fasting, that fasting brings the person closer to God, is of course true, but I don’t see a reason for making fasting mandatory with rules and dates. If someone is forced to fast against their will, fasting will most likely just do harm, and no one is going to grow closer to God if they don’t want to.

I see fasting as a growth opportunity to be taken advantage of whenever seen fit. Whenever I feel I have fallen off course from how God wants my life and actions to be, I can fast to spiritually revive myself and begin the realignment process. And in this process, I can choose the parameters myself that best fit the situation. If I wanted to fast simply to punish myself, I could fast by not eating chicken for a month. What the disciples of Jesus often did was drink water only with one loaf of bread per day. What I normally choose to do looks like a liquid diet: I partake of no solid foods and drink just liquids, particularly water.

So am I fasting for my spiritual benefit or am I simply on a diet? According to a liquid diet, I could drink plenty of juices, milks, and even drink chicken broth or melted ice cream. But I must remember that I am not fasting in order to nourish myself differently than normal.  I’m fasting to show God that nourishment isn’t as important as Him. I technically could drink a bowl of broth during my fast, but I must always watch the line between fasting for God and fasting for health.

I will normally drink plenty of water with one glass of orange juice and one glass of chocolate milk a day, and I do this for as long as needed, about five days. I was talking to one man about fasting, and he couldn’t believe I could survive without any food. He talked about how the human “body needs minerals and protein and fat to function. Does God just magically transport all that into your body?”

I responded by saying, “It’s not that God defies science and gives me everything I need. While I’m fasting, I’m showing that I don’t need anything except God. God doesn’t defy science, He just doesn’t need it!”