We are taking two weeks between each seven month to gather, evaluate, and prepare our hearts for the next month.
I'm ready for month two. We decided to go with Giving. Seven items a day for 28 days. Seven items per person between Kate and I equals 392 items in a month. Looking around the house I don't see how this will be a problem, but I am very excited about minimizing. My guess is it will be easy at first, but as we dwindle down we will have to release some of those things that really have a hold on me.
My men's group is doing a 2-day fast next week Monday and lasting into Tuesday evening. My first reaction was ... let's say a genuine lack of excitement. Then as I thought about it and allowed the Spirit to speak to me I realized this was an excellent way to launch into a month of giving. I rely on myself for far too much, and I have never actually done any sort of fast. I have a long list of excuses, but they all center around a desire to stay away from discomfort.
My group is walking through Forgotten God by Francis Chan. This is an amazing book about the Holy Spirit and our relationship with Him. In last night's discussion we came across this sentence, "Our desire to live should be for the sake and glory of the God who put us on earth in the first place." This struck a chord in my heart as I mulled over the upcoming fast, and a month of purposefully giving the stuff we've piled up in our home (I'm trying not to call it my stuff). As I was chewing over what this meant I began asking myself what it means to live for the sake and glory of God. There are easy answers like, "Work on my temper," "serve at church," "love my family," that come out, but these are not what He calls us to.
When Jesus taught the disciples to pray he included
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven
What do God's will and kingdom look like?
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'
Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?'
And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'
Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me a drink. I was a stranger and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn't give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'
Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?'
And he will answer, 'I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'
And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."
-- Matthew 25:37-46
James defines it like this, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." -- James 1:27
Nowhere does it say anything remotely close to, "Take all of the resources I give you and use them on crap," Or, "Fulfill your own hungers and desires, turn a blind eye to others for your own comforts." Yet, that's how much of my life is spent. I give from the margins, from my leftovers.
I want my will to come into line with God's will, so He is glorified, so His Kingdom comes. In His Kingdom the poor are rich, the hungry are fed, the thirsty are given refreshment, the naked clothed, and prisoners freed, and the sick healed. He has blessed me with my birth position, my talents, my skills ... none of this is mine. I am a steward, and He wants us to be empty vessels that He can pour out into His land.
My prayer this month is that my heart will be radically changed. As I intentionally release the possessions that possess me I pray that God opens my eyes, heart, and hands to His world. That I would take the talents He's given me and use them wisely for His kingdom cause. Not for praise in the eyes of men, not for position or achievement, but because it pleases my Father to do so.
I am very excited about this month.
