What Will You Give Up?

For many denominations, March 5 is a season of Lent. Many people make a promise to give up something or commit to fasting. How about you?

What are you giving up?
In one list of fasting suggestions from Stephen Smith of OpenBible.info, the top ten things people choose to give up are chocolate, twitter, school, alcohol, swearing, social networking, soda, sweets, fast food, and junk food. Find the list HERE. Notice the themes of food, drink, and communication technology.

I confess I have never considered this practice until this year. As I think about giving up things like food or drink or the use of technology, they don’t seem very significant or painful if the objective is self-denial. I wonder if that is really what God wants from me–or does He want something far deeper and far more difficult? In reading the book of Proverbs this month, I am struck by the theme, “one thing God wants most.” It is our heart, all of it!

"He is the one who restores the fortunes of people (Psalm 126:4) when livelihoods are supported in Haiti, as homes are rebuilt in the Philippines, and as mothers are saved from death during delivery in Bangladesh"

His desire is that His words are so ingrained in my heart that I make the right choices for a long and prosperous life (Proverbs 3:2). It demands a heart that completely trusts in God for wisdom and does not rely on one’s own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). It is ultimately recognizing that my heart and your heart are a gift from God which He is asking us not to give up, but to give back to Him where it belongs. This is the transformation He seeks in us and our world.

Reading further in Proverbs 6:17, we find that there are seven things that God finds detestable, including the one that often trips me up in being able to give my heart completely to God: pride. Pride takes over a healthy trust in God when I attribute success to my own intelligence, hard work, or perseverance. Visiting the temples in Angkor Wat in Cambodia recently, I could see how easily we as humans take pride in our architectural handiwork, emperors, and princes. But where are these objects of wood and stone over a thousand years later and where are their rulers now?

Overtaken by death and creation’s forces!

What does this all mean for our work in World Renew?
We need to give our hearts back to God and remember that every resource of food, technology, time, funding, staff, partnership, and community are gifts from the generous hearts of our donors. The use of these gifts requires diligent stewardship as we help those for whom they are intended—people who live in poverty and disaster. We need to encourage not just good community ownership but also encourage communities to recognize the ultimate Owner of their community. We need to lay aside any arrogance that prevents us from having a “caring, learning culture and posture.” We need to avoid, even speak against, anything that raises up our own work, team, or agency and neglects the flourishing of God’s work.

We need to give up any prideful tendency that attributes success to our efforts alone and recognize that all we have done or achieved in encouraging the transformation of people and communities is due to God’s grace. He is the one who restores the fortunes of people (Psalm 126:4) when livelihoods are supported in Haiti, as homes are rebuilt in the Philippines, as mothers are saved from death during delivery in Bangladesh or Kenya or Malawi, as families gain legal ownership of their land in Tanzania, and as families living with HIV and AIDS learn to flourish once again.

During this month of Lent, will you join me in a heart-focus on this verse from 2 Chronicles 7:14?

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Blessings!