“The greatest adversary of love to God is not his enemies but his gifts,” writes John Piper in A Hunger for God. “And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable.”
This fasting Piper speaks of is not just that of food, but addressing the deadening effects of any innocent delight that hinders the sweet longings of our homesickness for God. Many small acts of preferring fellowship with God above these delights can form a habit of communion and contentment. Christian fasting is a test to see what desires control us.
A reminder of how Trackback Thursday works: Simply link to the blog post from your blog, leave a comment on Crossway’s Facebook Page, or re-tweet Trackback Thursday on Twitter @Crosswaybooks. Winners are picked on Friday morning.
We all need reminders to hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Comment by Jerry — March 4, 2010 @ 8:45 am
Heard this was a great book by Piper.
Comment by Chris Land — March 4, 2010 @ 9:01 am
You can never go wrong with Piper! May we all have a deep hunger for our God.
Comment by Timothy Poppell — March 4, 2010 @ 10:30 am
Congrats Chris! You’re one of our trackback winners this week. Please email shipping info to twitter@crossway.org
Comment by Staff — March 5, 2010 @ 9:07 am
Thanks Crossway.
Praise God.
Comment by Chris Land — March 5, 2010 @ 10:56 am