Let Nothing Make Me Its Slave: Why I Decided to Give Up Sugar, Again

I’m a generally healthy person, but 35 has not been kind to my metabolism. I’ve become determined to improve my physical condition as I age, not lose it.

When I joined Wendy Speake’s sugar fast last winter, I wanted to stop craving sugar. I honestly didn’t know if I could do it. That was part of why I decided to do it.

When I decided to run my first 5K, my family was incredulous. I had been a dancer but not much of a traditional athlete. Certainly never a runner. The idea that they thought I couldn’t do it pushed me harder to prove that I could. While I am not a regular runner now, I did complete two 5K races and exceeded my goals for myself both times.

So when I felt the fear of what giving up sugar for 40 days would mean, I knew I needed to do it.
The focus on the fast was on leaning into Jesus, and throwing off the crutches we use instead of him. While sugar was the focus, there were definitely people in the group giving up alcohol, carbs or other things. Wendy led a social media fast during Lent last year and in the online forums discussions on a spending or shopping fast have also come up.

The point was, it wasn’t really about the sugar, it was why did I have to have the sugar? Why was I so afraid of life without it?

Now I believe that God gave us tastebuds for a reason, that he desires us to enjoy an abundant life which includes good tasting and nourishing food.

But I also feel convicted whenever I read where Paul says
“Let nothing make me it’s slave.”

Paul was addressing things like Jewish dietary laws and other kinds of behavior that were in and of themselves, morally neutral, but had been codified into law in Jewish culture. The Gentile Christians didn’t follow these laws and it caused great ethnic conflict within the early church.

Paul’s point was that under Christ, all foods and morally neutral behaviors were allowed but that didn’t mean they were healthy.

I have friends who don’t drink. I have friends who do drink. I have friends who don’t drink because they shouldn’t. Those are important distinctions.
So how do I know if something is permissible for me? The short answer is, if it isn’t good for you; your metabolism, your mood, your relationship with others, your relationships with Jesus, it’s probably worth addressing.

I think when we think of fasting, there are usually two reactions. Either, I don’t have to. (Which is true). Or the thought that someone who would fast, is better than you, or thinks of him or herself as better than you. (That part is sin, sorry, I have to call this one like it is).

We should be ready to support our brothers and sisters as they struggle to overcome their sinful natures and grow more like Jesus. That doesn’t mean we have to give up all the same things. (I still enjoy the occasional drink, but not with friends who don’t). But we do need to check our attitudes and make sure we’re not inhibiting someone else’s growth out of our own pride, jealousy, or fear.

I did another sugar fast the last forty days. Normally I wouldn’t even talk about it. Just to discuss it feels kind of arrogant. But I did it because I thought I needed to. No one did this to me (I remind myself of that whenever I get whiny about it), I wanted to stretch myself.

Sugar will probably always be part of my life in some capacity, I’m not a lifer when it comes to sugar fasting. But it has taught me a lot about myself. I realized that if I want to grow, I need to be willing to give things up when God tells me to. Even if those around me don’t have a problem with it. Even if there is nothing inherently wrong with it. Even if I don’t want to. Especially if I don’t want to.

I often quote one my favorite college professors when it comes to fasting. He said,
“Fasting has taught me that I don’t have to have what I want when I want it.”

I am not a slave to sugar. Yes, I want it, often. I feel the pull when I’m sad, when I’m stressed, when I’m angry. But it is not my master. In those moments, I can take my emotions, my situation and my attitudes to my true Master, and he will lead and guide me in the paths of truth. Why settle for a counterfeit relief, when the Holy Spirit, the great comforter is ready and waiting.