The 40-Day Sugar Fast summary

You’ve made the important decision to jump in and commit to a 40-day sugar detox. Now, let’s get into what that actually entails.

When will you schedule your fast? Ideally, don’t pick a time when you have travel plans, big family events, or are hosting out-of-town friends in your home. You want to reduce the potential for confusion – and not place added temptations in your way.

If you’ve read the Book of Joshua, you’ll know the triumphant story of the Battle of Jericho.

While journeying in search of their promised land, the Israelites encounter an obstacle: the walled city of Jericho. A man with a sword appears to Joshua, telling him to take off his sandals because he is standing on holy ground. Joshua then follows God’s commands to lead the Israelites around the city once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they walk around the city seven times and then blow their trumpets. At the sound of the horns, the walls collapse. The battle is won, and Joshua rejoices.

Every story has a hero – and an antihero.

Just as Christ guides our steps through the battlefield, Satan walks among us, tempting us … even rooting for us to fail!

In the previous section, we discussed how social media might replace sugar as an addictive behavior. While social media is an easy target at which to take a shot, it’s not the only villain.

Think of anything in your life that you feel an unhealthy attachment toward. Now, you may not initially recognize this attachment as unhealthy. For example, let’s say you volunteer for the Humane Society, and love for animals is a huge part of your identity. You take in foster dogs, you help organize an event for dog adoptions, and you donate frequently. All of this is wonderful.

Until now, we’ve talked about sugar as an enemy that has to be fought so that it doesn’t take the place of Christ in our lives. Here’s another analogy to further illustrate the point.

Think of your bank account with its finite resources. You pay the mortgage, the utilities, your car payments, and credit card bills. How will you spend the money that’s left? You might want to donate to a mission project, take a trip, and buy that new dining table you’ve been eyeing. How do you prioritize?

Toward the end of your 40-day fast, your mental acuity will become sharper and even more powerful. The clarity you have now can help you help others. When you’re not focused on eating sugary foods – or obsessing about food at all – you can create the kind of mindset that is able to cultivate compassion and generosity of spirit.

Detoxing from sugar teaches you how to shift the focus away from serving yourself, and toward serving God. The best way to do that is by serving others. You could take a very practical and direct approach, such as taking the money you saved by not buying sugary treats and donating it to a worthy cause. Or you could serve Jesus by generously spreading his word to others. Through prayer, hunger and sugar-deprivation can be transformed into something exalted.

Sugar is an enemy that seeks to distract you from the Word of God. By committing to a sugar detox through prayer, reflection, and dedicated discipline, you can regain your health and clarity. The biggest benefit is your renewed relationship with God – weight loss is merely a happy side effect!