Asceticism

Noun

asceticism

1. The principles and practices of an ascetic; extreme self-denial and austerity

- Thanks to Wiktionary for this definition

To be ascetic for Christ. To deny oneself for the sake of spiritual growth. Monks throughout history have done it, some of them successful. Others have just decided it's too hard and fall away.

So, is ascetism a good or bad thing? Well, I've thought about it quite a bit. Not like I sit there and think, "I need to become an ascetic." Rather I think that humbling myself to God to the point where I have nothing will require me to allow Him to provide for me. Does that make sense? Let me try it this way:

1. humble yourself until you have nothing
2. God must provide

OK - so, to what degree should we deny ourselves? I've read writings by Christians who are offended when they see other people claiming to be Christians driving around in fancy cars. Heck, if I believed that, I'd be offended by nearly every member of my church! Many Christians become ascetic to a degree during Lent - though some do it because it's tradition and have missed the point of self-denial completely. Some believe Lent to be a competition "I can hold out better than you can!" Boot camp was asceticism for a different reason.

Another example of asceticism would the Amish people.

Amish people interpret linking with electrical wires as a connection with the world - and the Bible tells them they are not to be 'conformed to the world' (Romans 12:2) In 1919 the Amish leaders agreed that connecting to power lines would not be in the best interest of the Amish community. They did not make this decision because they thought electricity was evil in itself, but because easy access to it could lead to many temptations and the deterioration of church and family life.

- http://www.800padutch.com

But why? And how? Those questions are probably better answered by each individual. Why would you want to deny yourself earthly pleasures? Why would I want to deny myself a motor vehicle or the occasional beer or (heaven forbid!) my blog? Well, the answer lies in my desire for spiritual growth.

I want nothing more than to be close to God. Sometimes, that means I must deny what I want - especially when my desires conflict with His. So - am I ascetic? I don't know. I desire a nice color TV (mine died), rather than a 5" black and white, but to buy one means I would be denying food for my family. So, I deny my desires for a TV to fulfill God's desires in my life - feeding my family. Am I ascetic? Nah - I'm not extreme.

But, if denying the TV brings me closer to God, will denying myself other things also bring me closer? Maybe, maybe not. I think it all depends on my focus for denial. When I deny myself these things, will I focus on the fact that I miss them? That focus leads to the "Forbidden Fruit" mentality. I become so engrossed in what I can't have that I can't focus on what I do have. That happens when I try to fast. I can't think of anything except the gnawing pain in my empty tummy.

For asceticism to work, there are many factors that must come into play. One day, I hope that I will be happy with whatever I have, and not desire to have more. God will fulfill all of my desires, and I will be left not wanting more. That likely won't happen until the day I meet Him face to face. 'Til then, I'll keep working on it.