Did you know there is more than just one type of fast? When I became a Christian, I was always afraid of what a food fast meant. I thought I would have to be like Jesus and go without eating for 40 days. Although I could easily go 40 days without food, thank you, gastroparesis, it would hardly mean as much to me as it would to someone who doesn’t have a body that rejects food. Today, the guest pastor of our church discussed other fasts and what fasting really means. Fasting is meant to turn us away from worldly means of escape and back to God. Sometimes, we run to food to escape stress. Others may scroll social media to get away from their problems. There are also other focuses that take our attention, such as relationships, money, drugs, alcohol, work, television, and the list that can go on. The purpose of fasting from these distractions is to listen to what God wants us to do and how to use our gifts rather than avoiding our problems. God calls us to turn to him for all things, but we often choose to take the easier path to diversion. It won’t be easy to move our focus from the comfortable distractions to intentionally focusing on God, but it will be worth it to really experience peace from the difficult experiences in our lives. What do you need to fast from?