I’m not a Greek scholar, and I don’t play one on TV.
However, I understand that kenosis, in New Testament Greek terms, is a word which describes paring-down, shedding excess, maybe even doing more with less. I suppose it can include fasting, if you want to read it that way, and so I choose to read it that way. I could be wrong. I’ve been wrong before, and survived it.
At any rate, I’m going into a season of kenosis beginning this Wednesday, Ash Wednesday. I have a good example for it: a Savior who fasted in the desert 40 days while being tempted by the Accuser. (Hard to accuse Someone who’s perfect; best just to play to His needs and wants.)
So I’m going to try to need and want less for the 40 days following Wednesday as I have for the previous couple of years. But this year will be a little different. My first year, I weaned myself off of my beloved Mountain Dew for an entire Lenten season. Last year I parted with soft drinks laced with caffeine. This Lent, I’m going to try to temporarily break my addiction to soft drinks entirely.
It’ll just be good ol’ Ozarka or Mountain Valley Water, or the chilled, filtered stuff from my refrigerator’s front door.
And in the spirit of fasting preferred by Isaiah (ch. 58), I’ll be tossing the unspent beverage coinage into a receptacle to benefit a far greater need than my craving for sugary beverages.
It won’t stop there. I’m hoping to fast from indolence as well. I intend to find some active, physical ways to actually do some of God’s work instead of just writing and talking about it. I have some things in mind, but haven’t prayed about them fully yet – so they’re not ready for sharing yet.
But I would welcome your prayers and support in my fast – and would be glad to challenge anyone who feels intrigued by it to join me and millions of other Christian folks in this season of kenosis.
Blog In My Own Eye 
I am what you might call a “heavy drinker” – I drink a lot of fluids. I used to drink a lot of soda. But one day several years ago I had a realization. We had these “Golden Harvest” drinking jars – kinda like a mason jar with a handle. I would have 3 of those at dinner, usually of “Squirt” soda. I realized I was drinking 600+ calories every night! YIKES! I dropped over 5 pounds just from stopping the sodas. I still drink soda – but just soda water. Kroger and Publix charges 59c for 2 liters of sparkling water. I really like it. Refreshing and bubbly, like a good soda, but with no calories and no caffeine. (And no phosphoric acid, for you “zero” cola lovers.)God bless you (and your body) on this fast. May He be glorified through your life-changes. I’m working on stopping my occasional gluttony – somehow I have started using my workouts as justification for poor eating habits. I do not think this honors God either.
The flavored water thingy is good to try……I have gone to it instead of soft drinks.Have a great journey!DU
keith,my wife got me started on this. what a great influence she has on me. the first year i fasted dr pepper. now that was tough!the next year i tried sodas altogether, and didn’t make it. i finished with just having sprite or 7up.this year i hope to complete the lenten season with no sodas. it will be better for me with none of those sugars sitting on the teeth waiting until the next brushing, along with the acids.may we all be able to make it through this together, and pray for each other. its good to know that we are not alone.
I have been praying about what to give up and had decided on all fast food…but I realized while reading this I am VERY addicted to Diet Coke….so I will add that to my “fast”….and I agree it would be great for us to pray for each other.
I gave up Diet Cokes about 4 weeks ago, and feel much better now. Also, the realization that the aspartame isn’t eating holes in my brain anymore is comforting. Funny you should use the word Kenosis, because one of the physical results of a three-day or longer complete fast is ketosis.Good luck and God Bless with the physical and spiritual aspects of your decision.
I’ll be praying for you during this season. I will also be joining you in fasting. Let us know how it goes for you.
Keith, back in the day when you and David U and Fajita were the only bloggers in Arkansas, you know WAY back. I gave up what we refer to as cokes, during the original 40 days of fat. You can do it! Better yet is what we learn about ourselves from the fast.
Now Fajita’s flown the coop and moved to Minnesota (wonder how he viewed that decision at the worst of the winter weather recently!) …
apparently it was COLD