I’m less than a week into the 21 days of prayer and fasting with church (something I do every year) and I find it SO FUNNY…like I literally Laugh Out Loud… how people get SO FREAKED OUT about fasting.

And if you’re one of those that read that first line and felt yourself holding your breath with a slight head tilt or maybe even a full out shake, followed by a “HELL NO” thought… then let me assure you fasting for me IS NOT about lack in my quantity of food … but it does have to do with quality…and REALLY it focuses on the value I place on what I want to obtain MOST.

See I don’t mind fasting because I don’t focus on what I have to give up…I focus on what I gain.

For me personally:

1. I actually feel WAY better not eating all the crap I know doesn’t really fuel my body or mind anyway (even though I love some of it- and especially pizza– oh pizza, please forgive me)
2. I belive in the up leveling it brings.  The simple ability to give yourself a command and stick to it develops our mentally faculty of the will and grows our tools in perseverance.

But here’s why I bring up even the concept of fasting…because the concepts relate to Goal Achieving…Mindset… and even Time Management–

You’ve got to “GIVE UP” to “GO UP”

And the ease in which you are able to do that, has everything to do with how you view it…

I was working with a group of leaders this week and we were talking about those things that hold us back and one person in particular talked about the struggle she has in saying “no” to opportunities because she doesn’t want to “miss out”.

And trust me I could totally empathize with that because I had to learn this lesson the hard way.  In fact I still have to revisit it at times when I take on too much and try to be everywhere for everyone knowing full well that it doesn’t work.

I sometimes like to tease that no one can actually prove I’m not superwoman because we’ve never been seen in the same room, but honestly when I take on too much all it ends in is me stressed out, overwhelmed, tired, and frustrated that I don’t have time to really get it all done…

I don’t know everything, but I do know that’s NOT what it feels like to really live life to the full!

So here’s how we can apply the same principles in fasting and start pruning away some of the non-essentials so we can experience even more “fruitfulness”

You’ve got to let go of something of lesser value to obtain the things of higher value.

Or let me put it to you in a question…Why are you wanting to hold onto the things that are leaving you tied up and dragged down?

Maybe its time to implement your own kind of “fast” and lean into the Law of Sacrifice.

And that word “sacrifice” is where I think we all go a little bit sideways…

because let’s be honest we want IT ALL…

WITHOUT having to give up anything to get it.

But that my friend, is not how the world works…

Not because God is testing us in what we’re willing to give up, but because He doesn’t want you to miss out…

…especially on the AWESOME things that matter MOST and that we’re truly meant for…which is His best!

So if you’re someone who likes to say ‘yes’ instead of ‘no’ then this is great, because you’ve just discovered your next area of growth!

Because the law of sacrifice is going to require you to SAY NO to good things in order for you to SAY YES to God’s BEST!

And that decision is made easier when you have a definite purpose backed by desire and can answer yes to these two questions:

In saying yes,

1. Is this aligned with my purpose?
2. Does it bring me closer to my God given goals?