What is a fast? 'Fasting is an intentional reduction, a deliberate abstinence to summon God's movement in our lives. A fast creates margin for God to move.' A fast must be in the right mind- for Christ. I will be fasting from the things that come between me and God almighty. This book has allowed to to see my blind spots. There is a stirring in me about the Gospel and my family that burns to get out. I don't understand at all what it is. But its driving me to the point of stress and anxiety. There is so much STUFF in my life that is between God and I. Let me name a few things; facebook, twitter, clothes, possessions, food, stress, waste, spending, deadlines, meetings, TV........ and I wonder to myself why I can't hear or feel God speaking to me. I do not make the time to listen. My daily routine is rush, rush, rush, food, baths, and bed. Sound familiar?
America is RICH. I have everything I need, yet I always want more...a new car, cuter clothes, bigger home, a maid (holla), a pool, big vacations, etc. America is on top of the world when it comes to luxuries. Most of us don't even know how rich we are. We reside on top percentage of wealth in the entire world. If you make $35,000- top 4%, $50,000- top 1%. This excess has impaired our perspective. 'We are the richest people on earth, praying to get richer. We're tangled in unmanageable debt while feeding the machine, because we feel entitled to more.' More than half the global population lives on less than $2/day and we can't manage life with almost 35 times that amount ($25,000) or 70 times that amount ($50,000). Having this much is blinding us. How can we feel compelled too need and listen for Christ when everything around us is given to us.
Jesus spoke repeatedly about the rich folks. They may be on top of the food chain, but for the most part that's where it stops. Matthew 19 speaks about the rich young man. This man was a rich ruler with lots of power (according to Luke 18). He asked Jesus, "What good thing must I do to get eternal life?" Jesus replied, "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor you father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself." The rich man said he kept all of those things but what do I still lack? Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. then come, follow me." The young man heard this and became sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus throws out this hyperbole, saying it is easier for a 2,000 pound camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
What the??!! I was utterly aware of my privileges and unmoved by my greed. I am the rich dude....there is so much EXCESS that obscures my vision of Christ. How is God suppose to use me to further his kingdom when I have so much baggage? I am ruined...EPIC failure. I am always comparing myself to others on the same rung. Looking for ways to get higher on that social ladder and completely missing the point of it all. It's the American Way. We are programmed that way, me, me, me. Here is a picture of MY vacation, here is a picture of the family I made, MY project, MY success,....what's left when we shift our focus? for the believers, Christ. It's not about what you're doing right; it's about what you cherish. "If you are willing to offer these blind spots- indulgence, extravagance, greed, excess- to Jesus, we can believe him for freedom on the other side. There is a bigger story to live, and God is drawing us into it. It is thrilling and good and radical; the gospel life has no equal. No matter what, God will further his kingdom, whether we help or not...but 'what better way to spend our last breath on, this is living'.
Are you willing?
Great post, Nikki. Ummmm....very convicting. This makes me want to read the book and not read the book. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteFor sure! It's an awesome read, I am using this week to pray and get my head right over the fasts and I am going to start staging my own mutiny against excess Monday.....frightened but ready for liberation :)
ReplyDeleteGoing to start off by posting to FB and texting out my 7 foods for the week in hopes that I can find some accountability partners. Then I am going to have to pray through this. Possibly my excess has tricked me into thinking that there is no good place to start in listening or asking God to clear my mind and heart open my eyes to Him. From past experience God always does what He says He will do and always does what is good for me, but it never fails that when I fervently ask or pray for guidance He strips me down, it becomes emotional and tiring for a bit but always ending in blessings I never thought I deserved. Almost like I ask and he opens it and cleans it the opening is embarrassing and difficult to look at then He and I clean it up. I will use this time and clear out the clutter and excess as painful or difficult as it may become, I will pray I will ask for God to open my heart and defy my thoughts of the fact that there is just no good place to start....and just start?!
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