The congregation that I’m serving & leading has entered into a period of time set aside for prayer and fasting. Fasting is great because it really serves as a strong illustration for our dependence upon God. It also serves as a powerful comparison between hungering for God and hungering for actual food. Sometimes (most of the time) we value just about everything other than Christ and his word! I’ve always found fasting to be spiritually uplifting. Jesus, when tempted to break his 40 day fast by the devil said,
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4)
This shows us the importance of fasting and doing so alongside God’s word. You won’t find me fasting without my Bible. And don’t worry, I’ll try not to tell you about my fasting because I want it to count.
But I have a question about all this fasting. Is it okay to chew gum? Seriously, I need someone to weigh in on whether or not it is okay to pop in a stick of bubble gum and blow bubbles? I’m chewing gum right now and with every bubble, I’m wondering if this is sacrilegious, so to speak.
What do you think?
Luke is a pastor-theologian living in northern California, serving as a co-lead pastor with his life, Dawn, at the Red Bluff Vineyard. Father of five amazing kids, when Luke isn’t hanging with his family, reading or writing theology, he moonlights as a fly fishing guide for Confluence Outfitters. He blogs regularly at LukeGeraty.com and regularly contributes to his YouTube channel.
it’s probably a good idea to chew some gum if you are on a longer fast, fast, can be a kind of detox and give one a bit of bad breath, so when around people or talking to them, prolly a good idea to brush the teeth, take some mouth wash and have a piece of gum – that’s how I see it.
chewing gum cancels your fast out. don’t do it. its over. mwahha ha
Well, it is a well-known truth that the phrase “chewing gum” can be found in the New Testament under its relevant idiom of the day. Matthew writes in his gospel, “They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The association of teeth gnashing (or gum chewing) with weeping, blazing furnaces and the like is a strong indication that nothing good at all can come from chewing gum, fasting or otherwise. I would advise your parishioners from now on, when they see the Dentyne or Hubba Bubba on the store shelves to just say “no” or “Get thee behind me, Satan.” (http://hermansneutics.com)