12 days of no fast food!
Well, so far its been 12 days of no fast food and counting.
In this last week or so I've discovered some things about myself. 1.) I truly am addicted to sweet tea, 2.) I've been using food, specially fast food, to make my days better if I'm in a bad mood, etc....so wrong. 3.) I'm thinking this no fast food adventure is just the tip of the iceberg concerning some convictions.
This week I was really convicted of my extravagance toward food, housing, clothing and so on. I was listening to a sermon by Platt and from just a social stand point, we should be embarrassed of our lack of caring for others and our spending habits. A lot of the below facts I kind of had a general idea of, but actually letting them sink in, they are heart-breaking.
Around 2 billion people in the world today live on less than $2.00 per day.
Around 1 billion people in the world TODAY live on less than $1.00 per day. (The amount I spend on my sweet tea at McDy's daily)
An annual income of greater than $25,000 per year would qualify you in the top 10% wealthiest in the WORLD!
Today in the town of Bihar, India 5,000 will die. That's not an exaggeration, its a fact.
Right now in Somalia a rough estimate of 750,000 are dying of starvation.
Tomorrow 20,000 children, CHILDREN will die from starvation, disease, violence, etc.
Guess what?? The majority of those aren't your neighbors, your family, or the people in your church.
These are the lost, the scared, cold, and hungry. These are the ones slipping so quickly into an eternal darkness. They are some one's family...some one's daughter, sister, mother, son, grandson.
So as an American, as a single girl who is part of that 10% wealthiest in the world, WHAT AM I DOING???!!!???
I'm buying sandwiches at $6 a pop at cute little restaurants, purchasing new shoes, clothing, jewelry, movies, itunes, DVDs, phone apps, Kardashian nail polish, new post-its, decorations for my office, coffees...and on and on I could go. And if I don't have it, I'm scheming of how I can get it. And I'm proud of myself that I cut out roughly $25/week on fast food, proud!!??!!
I recently listened as two gentlemen discussed whether or not it was okay to spend a Sunday afternoon watching going to NASCAR or NFL games. They discussed the time it takes, the money, etc. One guy stated that we needed to have a balance in our lives. The other kind of stated that as long as he took care of his family, mowed the grass, did the things a good Christian should it was all okay. In his opinion, that's what the Lord wants...us to take care of the "little things."
Frankly, they both missed the point. Why can't we see that giving up things like NASCAR and NFL is not it. Living for the Glory of our Father is the point!! People often say, that God wants us to enjoy things, live happily. Really??!! Really??!!?? Yes, God wants His children to be happy, but are we looking to what makes us happy or what makes our Father happy. We are sitting in the comfort of our own homes, watching our big TVs and people are slipping into eternity.
I'm human, imperfect and I might be called a hypocrite, but really is anything too radical for the lives of people? Further more I don't know a single soul that is even near the edge of radical in their life style and giving...including me.
For us as believers, there shouldn't be a thing in this world that we aren't willing to sacrifice for another person's security in Christ and for the Father's Glory. This isn't a made up story or a Lifetime movie, this is real...
"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."
I Timothy 6:7-10
Ouch! So here I am sitting in this living room, in the warmth, typing a blog on my Mac book. Sad, but true. I'm broken and want to weep for us, for how we got here, for why we are still here..in this state, Content in nothing.
Father break our hearts so that we renounce waste and personal extravagance in our clothing, homes, travel, church buildings and traditions. Help us to see where to draw the lines between honor and glory to You and service to fashion, pointless hobbies, and empty status symbols. Break my heart for what breaks yours.
Beautiful, saddened by my own life, Feet
In this last week or so I've discovered some things about myself. 1.) I truly am addicted to sweet tea, 2.) I've been using food, specially fast food, to make my days better if I'm in a bad mood, etc....so wrong. 3.) I'm thinking this no fast food adventure is just the tip of the iceberg concerning some convictions.
This week I was really convicted of my extravagance toward food, housing, clothing and so on. I was listening to a sermon by Platt and from just a social stand point, we should be embarrassed of our lack of caring for others and our spending habits. A lot of the below facts I kind of had a general idea of, but actually letting them sink in, they are heart-breaking.
Around 2 billion people in the world today live on less than $2.00 per day.
Around 1 billion people in the world TODAY live on less than $1.00 per day. (The amount I spend on my sweet tea at McDy's daily)
An annual income of greater than $25,000 per year would qualify you in the top 10% wealthiest in the WORLD!
Today in the town of Bihar, India 5,000 will die. That's not an exaggeration, its a fact.
Right now in Somalia a rough estimate of 750,000 are dying of starvation.
Tomorrow 20,000 children, CHILDREN will die from starvation, disease, violence, etc.
Guess what?? The majority of those aren't your neighbors, your family, or the people in your church.
These are the lost, the scared, cold, and hungry. These are the ones slipping so quickly into an eternal darkness. They are some one's family...some one's daughter, sister, mother, son, grandson.
So as an American, as a single girl who is part of that 10% wealthiest in the world, WHAT AM I DOING???!!!???
I'm buying sandwiches at $6 a pop at cute little restaurants, purchasing new shoes, clothing, jewelry, movies, itunes, DVDs, phone apps, Kardashian nail polish, new post-its, decorations for my office, coffees...and on and on I could go. And if I don't have it, I'm scheming of how I can get it. And I'm proud of myself that I cut out roughly $25/week on fast food, proud!!??!!I recently listened as two gentlemen discussed whether or not it was okay to spend a Sunday afternoon watching going to NASCAR or NFL games. They discussed the time it takes, the money, etc. One guy stated that we needed to have a balance in our lives. The other kind of stated that as long as he took care of his family, mowed the grass, did the things a good Christian should it was all okay. In his opinion, that's what the Lord wants...us to take care of the "little things."
Frankly, they both missed the point. Why can't we see that giving up things like NASCAR and NFL is not it. Living for the Glory of our Father is the point!! People often say, that God wants us to enjoy things, live happily. Really??!! Really??!!?? Yes, God wants His children to be happy, but are we looking to what makes us happy or what makes our Father happy. We are sitting in the comfort of our own homes, watching our big TVs and people are slipping into eternity.
I'm human, imperfect and I might be called a hypocrite, but really is anything too radical for the lives of people? Further more I don't know a single soul that is even near the edge of radical in their life style and giving...including me.
For us as believers, there shouldn't be a thing in this world that we aren't willing to sacrifice for another person's security in Christ and for the Father's Glory. This isn't a made up story or a Lifetime movie, this is real...
"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."
I Timothy 6:7-10
Ouch! So here I am sitting in this living room, in the warmth, typing a blog on my Mac book. Sad, but true. I'm broken and want to weep for us, for how we got here, for why we are still here..in this state, Content in nothing.
Beautiful, saddened by my own life, Feet
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