2025 goals: fasting and resting

I’m sure that you already have some idea of the changes and habits you’d like to develop in the new year. But I’d like to challenge you with two more: fasting and resting.

These two habits are on the opposite ends of the spiritual practice spectrum. One provides rest for the body. The other places the body into discomfort and strain. And yet both are to bring healing to body and soul.

I have found that both of these practices allow you to experience God and understand yourself in ways you never would otherwise.

Fasting

There is a sizable movement of positive experiences surrounding fasting, but most of it is centered around a person’s health. This is true, fasting is good for the body from time to time. It provides a bit of a reset for the gut which is constantly being punished with sugars and oils and other things not so good for us. Fasting gives it a minute to recoup.

But I think the spiritual benefits of a fast, if that is your focus, far outweigh the physical.

There are several ways to fast. The traditional and primary way of fasting is from food. I think this is the type of fasting that is most powerful. Food is our biggest crutch. We have food everywhere in America. We are a country of snackers. Food has to be at every gathering.

When we remove food, we feel hunger. Then weakness. Then deep longing. We begin to realize that our day rotates from meal to meal, snack to snack. In reality, our day should be rotating not around food, but on purpose, on meaning, on God.

There are several other types of fasting and some other tips I can give you on fasting by going to the link below.

Resting

We do not rest well in America.

We have so much to do, so much to think about. But more than the work that we have, we have more distractions.

The stat that I found says that you will spend 4.8 waking hours looking at your phone. That is equal to 73 days. In 2025, you will spend many days worth of waking time distracted by your phone, tablet, or TV.

Many claim this is how they “rest”. Nothing could be more untrue. Your screen is a stimulant, activating your brain and drugging your mind with dopamine. If you look at a screen close to bed time, it greatly decreases the chances you will get good sleep. So, it activates your brain not allowing you to actually rest while you are looking at it, and it decreases the chances of you getting good rest later when you’ve actually put it away.

Real rest in 2025 looks like putting distractions away and sitting in silence, in boredom. It looks like taking a 20 minute epsom salt bath with just a journal to write thoughts. It looks like learning breath-work practices that you might learn to breath and meditate. It looks like going on a walk or stretching without your phone or headphones.

Rest is also about sleep. Make it a priority this year to get your sleep in. No phones or food before bed. Aim for 7-8 hours, whatever feels good for your body.

I pray these practices might become important parts of your 2025 and might help build one of the best years of your life!

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