This isn't about religious rules or spiritual performance—it's about relationship. Fasting isn't a spiritual hack to manipulate God or earn points; it's the physical expression of longing for someone who isn't fully present yet. We live in this beautiful tension: Christ has come and we know his presence through the Spirit, yet we're still waiting for the day when we see him face to face. Fasting helps us feel that ache, that hunger for something more than this world offers. When we intentionally remove the comforts we reach for—whether food, scrolling, noise, or other distractions—we discover what we've been using to numb the deeper longing in our souls. The reward isn't material blessing; it's the grace of discovering what our hearts run to instead of God. Lent and the practice of fasting invites us not to impress anyone, but to be ruthlessly honest about our substitutes and return to the One who truly satisfies.