Lessons learned from fasting condemnation

Well, I am about 31 days into fasting condemnation. Oh my! How about you? What have you fasted for lent? How ya doing? 

I should know better than choosing something that I know is going to hit me in the face as I do it. The crazy thing about fasting something is that this means we spend way too much time thinking about it. Or at least I do. Honestly, this is why I focus more on internal things. The whole point of a fast is so we can draw closer to the LORD. 

I don’t know why I am so surprised when spiritual lessons hit hard. I asked for it. I should expect it. I confess that I wasn’t anticipating that asking for a conscious awareness of every time I have a spirit of condemnation would cause me to face some pretty intense mental spiritual battles. Now that I am on the other side of a few of them, I recognize now that it was warfare! UGH!

Honestly, it happens so fast I am not even conscious that it is happening and then boom. There it is. I find myself in the mental struggle of condemnation and because I am praying the LORD reveals to me that I need to repent. Yep! Repent. You know that moment when you acknowledge, “I am in sin!” and you confess it so you can draw closer to God. If you have never tried it. You should. It is quite liberating. 

Well, I found myself mentally justifying my attitude. IF… But… Well… Fill in the blank for any justification you have given for why you condemn. UGH! The mental spiral flipped the switch where I wanted to justify, and I recognized that I was condemning. It is crazy how our minds can be so messed up. In this situation, I had someone that offended me. It hurt. Ugh. I felt justified in my condemnation. I felt I had the right to be miffed and righteous in my attitude. 

BUT GOD!

You know when Jesus was in the wilderness, He used scripture to counter Satan’s attacks. So, it is always wise to find scripture that will help you in these moments. 

Here is the verse that God gave me. It is written by Paul. If possible, I invite you to read it as if it is spoken with as much sarcasm as you can imagine Paul saying it. It is written in Taraphrase!

“Who are you to condemn?

Jesus is the one who died!

More than that…

 He was the one who raised from the dead!

 He is the one who sits at the right hand of God!

 He is the one who intercedes for us!” (Romans 8:34).

HAVE YOU DONE THIS? I THINK NOT!

I have to laugh! So, this is what I am saying to myself when the spirit of condemnation runs amuck in my mind. It not only shuts me up but makes me laugh. It helps me to see the beauty of the gift Jesus has given for me and for all of mankind. 

Who am I to think I have a right to condemn when Jesus willing died for the one I am condemning? Whether the condemnation be of myself or another.

I am still in the process of being steadfast to renew my mind. I am still on the journey of growing. I have learned to laugh at myself a lot and yes to repent A LOT! I am drawing closer to God as well! But the one thing that surprised me the most which should not was how much the LORD has awakened love in me. When I have taken the time to honestly pray and humble myself before the LORD with my spirt of condemnation, He allowed me to love deeper! Seriously, y’all! WOW! What a wonder!

I found myself seeing, hearing, knowing, and wanting to understand in ways I had not when I allowed the spirit of condemnation to run amuck!

What if each of us chose to become more aware of how easy it is to condemn ourselves or others? What if we chose to remind ourselves, we haven’t died for them, or sat at the right hand of God, or not really prayed? What if we just paused to pray? What might that look like? I have a feeling God might actually awaken love in more circumstances that we realize. 

Oh my! I had no idea y’all what God was going to teach me through this fast, but I am ever so thankful!

Shalom y’all!

Fasting condemnation for Lent

Our pastor has invited us to consider what we might want to fast for Lent. This is not something that is required for our faith, but it is an invitation to focus our minds on God by giving something up. So, I simply asked God, “What would you like for me to give up?” Probably, not thirty minutes after my prayer, I was listening to a podcast when the pastor said that his church was going to give up condemnation for Lent. 

I thought, “Wait! What?” 

He then quoted that the Bible says, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). I didn’t hear anything else he said.

I have always prayed this verse. I have also learned there are greater lessons to be learned when I fast something internal versus something external. Honestly, my more powerful and core life lessons have come from an internal fast. Once I fasted for 30 days asking God for anything. I simply chose to let my prayers just focus on what I know about Him when I prayed. IT RADICALLY CHANGED ME! I learned more about God and saw crazy amazing answers to prayer without ever asking God for anything. 

So, I have decided to fast condemnation. Oh boy! I do believe I am about to go into another life lesson that will change me at the depths of my core.

How often do my thoughts condemn me? Far more than you can imagine! How often do my words condemn me? Again, too many times. How often do I allow the spirit of condemnation to enter my thoughts against another? Again, shamefully, too many times. 

UGH! YES! YEP! I need to fast condemnation!

So, what will this look like? 

On this side of the lesson, this is what I hope to do. 

First, I will ask GOD to make me conscious of the spirit of condemnation. Father, will you please reveal to me the moments when I speak or think condemnation. 

Then, I will pray the verse, “There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” I want to cover this struggle with the truth because it is the truth that sets us free (John 8:32).

Then, I hope to cover it with the opposite. Father, how can I show grace and mercy? How can I speak life and love? How can I honor myself or the other? How can I change the mental, emotional, social, or even physical story that might being played in me? 

I will take the time to reflect on the truth that condemnation puts me in the place of acting like I am God and I am not. While conviction will cause me to want to repent so I can draw closer to God. There is a big difference, and the outcome is so different. 

This means I must be aware. This means I must be willing. This means that I must be willing to be obedient in the moment. This means that I must die to thoughts that in the moment I might feel justified in having. 

This is not a new journey for me. I can give you stories of the layers of God teaching me this lesson in my spiritual journey. But this is different. This is me now. Mature, Tara. Seasoned, Tara. Experienced, Tara. I wonder, what HE will reveal to me in this Lent? 

What might God be asking you to give up internally this Lent? Are you willing to dare to pray and try to see what God might cause you to discover about Him and yourself? Maybe you might want to join me in the fast of condemnation! 

Lent runs from February 19th to April 2 this year! 

What better way to focus on God and self-awareness than to give up something internally that hinders honoring Him and personal growth. 

Shalom, Shalom, y’all!