Forty Days of Water

All Tuesday morning, I was asking the Lord, "What might I give up for Lent?" I haven't always observed Lent; in fact, this might only be the second year that I've participated. It's an opportunity, a time when Christians can say, "Let's choose to fast, together!"

Pop, cereal, movies, social media; they all have a "Been there, done that" feel. Instead, I settled on an option I think I'll appreciate at the end of this whole shebang: 40 days drinking only water.

I love milk more than any other drink currently. I enjoy a good cup of coffee or an occasional pop. I started getting hooked on flavored water in the cafeteria. Now I'm dropping all of that for water--and only water--for 40 days.

This leads to a great question. Why? 

My friends at Blood:Water Mission started a campaign a few years ago based off this idea of drinking only water for Lent (so really, the credit of the idea goes to them). As I thought about it, I wondered, Why not do this for Do: Living Water? Why not give up all but water for my passion to dig wells? 

Seeing no solid reason opposed, I've decided to do it, and with slightly different stipulations. My goal isn't to give a certain amount of money, talk to a certain amount of people about it, or write a certain amount of posts. My goal is simply to pray, everyday during these forty days, for Do: Living Water. Donations, opportunities, and inspiration, yes. But instead of me trying to force the Lord's hand in these times, let the Lord do what seems good to Him.

I'm looking forward to updating you on this fast as I get it started tomorrow.

40 days to fast. 40 days to pray. 40 days to see God move. That's a good investment.

Camden

Reflections from Fasting

In the past month, I think I’ve fasted more than in any month in my life. Whether it’s food, media, or anything else, I’ve consistently felt called to give certain things up for a time to seek God. It’s pretty cool in the midst of this that God should teach me a lesson about fasting, and what it’s really all about.

I hope if you’re a Christian that you’ve fasted from something before. It’s not just a good idea; it’s something that Jesus expects of us (Matt 6:16). But why?

The issue comes down to satisfaction. What are we seeking to satisfy us, to fulfill a desire in our hearts? We know that food isn’t bad—1 Corinthians 6:13 says, “'Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food.’” Yet the second half of that verse says, “God will destroy both one and the other.”

So we should ask a question: What’s our source of satisfaction? We’ll be sorely disappointed if we base our satisfaction on a temporal substance that will be destroyed (like food, video games, or people’s opinions of us).

On the other hand, if God is good, then the only One who can truly satisfy our souls wants us to realize the emptiness of everything else. To fast doesn’t mean you stop eating or declare that Facebook is evil, it simply means that you surrender something temporal as a way to satisfy your heart with the Eternal One.

Isaiah 55:1-3

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
   and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
   and delight yourselves in rich food. 

Camden

When our Dreams Outweigh our Means

I’ve always enjoyed that my family sponsors a child through Compassion International. Yet recently I’ve had a burden to sponsor a child myself. God’s put the burden on my heart, and that burden has grown over the past months. While my family sponsors a child, I want my faith to be my own, my sacrifice to be personal.

But there’s a slight problem. See, I’m a college student—I know that God has called me to college, so I want to be faithful to pay for college (my last payment drained my account from a few thousand to $40). I talked with my mom about it, and she concurred—right now my obligation lies in paying for college.

Whether sponsoring a child through Compassion, hosting a carwash for clean water, or pursing a life calling, what do you do when your dreams outweigh your means?

First, trust. God has those desires in you for a reason, and He’ll work out His purpose in His due time. Often, He simply asks us to wait—not passively, but to be faithful with what we have so that He can entrust us with more (Luke 16:10).

Second, hope. Having the foundation of knowing God will work all things out for our good (Romans 8:28) allows us to hope in Him, an expectation of something not yet present. By its very nature we cannot hope for what we already see, so our result in hope is patience (Romans 8:24-25). Hope drives us to prayer; dependance. "And hope will not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).

Whatever you’re waiting on God for, know two things: you are insufficient, and He is sufficient. Trust, hope, and He will make a way for your good and His glory.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make straight your paths.

Camden

What If I Died Tonight?

It’s a good question to ask, right? I’ve gone to church, missions trips, and a Bible college. I’ve led a fundraiser earning thousands of dollars for building wells in Africa, and work for an evangelistic ministry.

Yet all of my effort, all my deeds, and all my accomplishments are like dirt before God. According to His holy justice, I’m condemned because of my sin—the only sentence that fits His perfection. Yet this same God who will send sinners to hell in justice came in the form a child so He could take the punishment for our sin.

At the cross, the dark tsunami of God’s wrath swept  straight into the bleeding man nailed to two pieces of wood. What did I receive? The righteousness of Christ. Incredible.

If I died tonight, I would be carried home into the arms of my First Love, Jesus Christ. I have strived to live for Him. I have not wasted my life. I have pursued the lifestyle of doing hard things. I have lived boldly and listened to the daily pleadings of my King—not perfectly, but by His grace always improving. With Him at the helm, I have won great battles against sin, shared the light with unbelievers, and encouraged many friends. And at the end of the day, I realize that it’s the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that has brought me peace with God.

This year, the victory goes not to me, but to my King. His eternal love and wrath are overwhelming to me, and I love Him for them. All I can do is fall before His feet, trembling at His Word in fear, awe, and thanksgiving.

Thank you, King Jesus, for 2011. 

One Minute in the Life of the World

Sometimes we move through life without thinking. We become routine. We’re only snapped out of our schedule when something throws off our personal lives. I’m reminded about how self-centered my life is when I judge the day as good or bad depending on my circumstances. Meanwhile, over 950 are reported dead today after a typhoon hit Mindanao in the Philippines. Over 250 are reported dead in a Syrian massacre. Tens of thousands of refugees are short of food and supplies in South Sudan. The Eastern Bedawi Bedouins of Egypt have a 0.00% evangelical rate.

Here’s the scary thing: I found all these facts in a minute. We’re so bombarded with news that we reach the point of numbness for anything beyond ourselves. Please, don’t feel guilt—feel conviction. Even in America, I think about how many people sincerely believe that today marks one year until the end of the world. If they’re not looking for answers about life now, they will be shortly. Who will give them the answers?

¹⁴ "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Start with prayer. Pray for the Philippines, for Syria, for South Sudan, for the Eastern Bedawi. And pray for Christians like you and me, that God would awaken us to action. The dawn is almost here—don’t let your light go out now.

Ephesians 5:13-16

Camden