Radical

I joined a college and career aged group at  my new church and I'm absolutely loving it! We are reading the book Radical by David Platt and discussing it on Thursdays. I thought I'd share a quote from the book with you. Be prepared to be challenged!

"A wealthier man in our faith family came to my office after we had been studying the story of the rich young man. He sat down, looked at me, and said point-blank, 'I think you're crazy for saying some of the things you are saying...But I think you're right. And so now I think I'm crazy for thinking some of the things I'm thinking.'
     For the next few minutes, he described how he was selling his large house and had decided to give away many of his other possessions. He talked about the needs he wanted to invest his resources in for the glory of Christ. The he looked at me through tears in his eyes and said, 'I wonder at some points if I'm being irresponsible or unwise. But then I realize there is never going to come a day when I stand before God and he  looks at me and says,"I wish you would have kept more for yourself." I'm confident that God will take care of me. '"

I've been really challenged lately to separate my needs from my wants. Do I really need a new pair of black flats for work or will my current ones do just fine? Do I need to have clothing that has Aeropostale or American Eagle plastered on it? Not to say that those things are inherently bad, but can my resources be better spent elsewhere? What if everyone sacrificed a few mochas, a movie, a new shirt, or a new supply for a hobby and instead spent that money on someone else? The cause God has laid on my heart is Compassion International. If you haven't heard of it before, it is an organization that offers sponsorships for children living in poverty. For $40 a month you can provide a child with an education, proper nutrition, clean water, medical care, and the good news of Jesus' love and redemption. Can we find enough money spent on "wants" in our budget to sponsor a child? Even if we can't find a full $40 maybe we can partner up with a friend and only do $20 a month each. To often we ask how much we have to give instead of how much we  can give. Pray about it and see where God leads you.