Because It's Important

Whether you know it or not, I spend quite a bit of time thinking and praying about what I post here in this space. Words are very, very, intimate to me. I do not take them, write them, or hear them lightly. All that to say, I have thought about this post. I have prayed about this post. And I know I need to write this post.

About a month ago my women's small group set out to go through the book, "The 7 Experiment" by Jen Hatmaker. The subtitle of the book is, "staging your own mutiny against excess."

Jen starts by looking at several passages through out the word of God where He admonishes the rich. I've heard these stories my whole entire life, but have never seen them like this! The rich young ruler puffs up his chest about his laundry list of righteousness and Jesus says," It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than the rich to enter heaven!"

Luke 6:24
Luke 8:14
Luke 12;21
Luke 1:53

All warnings for the rich. The problem most of us have is that when scripture refers to the rich we automatically think of someone else. Maybe the Queen of England, Bill Gates, or Donald Trump. But the truth is, here in America, we are all so stuffed full of richness that we can not even see over our bloated boats of wealth. If you follow me on facebook you've seen some of these quotes that are staggering, "Excess has impaired perspective in America; 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. What does it communicate when half the global population lives on less than $2 a day, and we can't manage a fulfilling life on 25,000 (35 times that amount)? 50,000 (almost 70 times that amount)? 100,000 (140 times that amount)? It says we have too much and it is ruining us."

The passages listed above warn of the rich being ruined and trapped in their wealth. But somehow pastors, teachers, bible study leaders, elders, deacons, parents, professors, MYSELF have been able to pass the buck on the "rich" and read those passages and think, "Bless those rich people's hearts, I hope they get it together someday! I am so glad I am not rich! Whew! Dodged a bullet!"

We've avoided the hard, hard, reality those verses are FOR US!! THE RICH!!

So this book is a "fast" from 7 common excesses in America purely to seek God. But first, we had to find those places in our lives to empty. Here are the 7 spots we are intentionally emptying in the next 7 weeks so that God and God alone can fill us up with HIMSELF. We will take one fast for one week:  food, clothing, possessions, media, waste, spending, and stress. Each fast is individualized, no two fasts look the same.

This post in not about, "Hey, look at me and what I am doing!" If you think that, than obviously you haven't read any of the other 428 posts here :) This post is about encouraging you to read this fantastic book and begin to understand the beauty of the fast. I have never read or heard anyone teach on fasting in this kind of freeing and non-legalistic way.

IS 58 calls us to get to the heart of the matter, not just paying lip service to wanting God to be an all consuming fire in our lives. I think this study gives us the foundation to allow God to be that consuming fire by emptying ourselves.

Jen talks that in scripture people fast for several different reasons; mourning, inquiry, preparation, worship, repentance and crisis. For me, many of those are my motivation to do this fast. But really I just want less of me and more of God in EVERY area of my life!! I am freakishly excited to see what God reveals of Himself to me and to my family during this time of intentional fasting.

Now go buy you this book!
~Sara