This summer I got the book Radical by David Platt.
It was sorta like lighting a sparkler on the Fourth of July.
So the subtitle is Taking Back your Faith from the American Dream.
Ya know from the get go that it's not gonna be patting you on the back.
I lent my book to some friends or you would be reading a thousands excerpts from the book.
So the book goes thru all these radical ideas like...
...reaching people who have no access to the Gospel...
...abandoning ourselves...
...the American blind spot...
...using our wealth for the blessing of the poor...
...giving sacrificially...
...Jesus being our reward...
OK, just watch this because the author does a lot better job talking about the book than I do.
Imagine that.
At the end of the book readers are challenged to do 5 things with that they have just read.
Stuff like
become part of a multiplying community,
serve in a different setting,
read thru the entire Bible,
pray for the entire world (not in one setting!)
and give sacrificially for a specific purpose.
The one God was really suggesting to me was giving sacrificially. Since Jesus asks us to give up everything to be his follower (Luke 14:33) it only makes sense right?
So I decided to go on a year-long clothing fast.
No shoes, jewelry or anything I would wear.
With one exception, a Ugandan outfit.
It might be tough.
Ok, it is a little tough already and I'm only 1/4 of the way through it.
Yeah, I like clothes. I like earrings. I like looking nice.
When I breeze thru the front of Old Navy to get to the kids' clearance racks in the back,
this is my prayer:
God, remind me of why I'm doing this.
Remind me of what my needs really are.
Remind me of what I truly desire.
Some time I want to pray for the whole world in a year.
I can't wait until I can serve somewhere new.
For now this is what God is asking of me.
(Disclaimer: I know I'm saved by grace! This is not me trying to earn my way anywhere.
Just so ya know.)
What has God asked of you? and if you have read the book, how has it impacted your life? I'd love to hear!
God is so worth it, isn't he?
Hi! I read your blog and wanted to talk with you sometime! We too have 5 children and are adopting 2 kids from Uganda. I'd love to see where you are in the process and ask you a few questions. We're just starting out... we were part of another program that got put on hold. We're currently having our homestudy updated and trying to identify an orphanage to work with. Please email me at jmh . tetreault @ gmail . com if you would like to chat! Julie
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