I just finished reading Jen Hatmaker’s book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess.And it really messed me up. In a good way. 7 is the true story of how Jen identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence. Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress. She would spend thirty days on each topic, boiling it down to the number seven. Only eat seven foods, wear seven articles of clothing, and spend money in seven places. Eliminate use of seven media types, give away seven things each day for one month, adopt seven green habits, and observe “seven sacred pauses.” Why would anyone want do this? For me? I am consumed by far too many things. And I take little responsibility for it. I shrug it off because this is how everyone in our culture lives. Reality check: that’s not a valid excuse. God has entrusted me with so many things. I have to make the choice to use them well, and to use them generously. Regardless of whether I live in a culture that thrives in excess and overindulgence, I am responsible for my own actions. It is time for change. So I’m offering up a challenge to you. I’m going to create a modified version of the 7 Challenge. I’ll spend one week choosing simplicity in each of the seven areas outlined in Jen’s book: food, clothes, spending, media, possessions, waste, and stress. Maybe your reasons are different than mine, but I have a feeling that you, too, are sick of the excess and materialism that are so prevalent in our lives. Can we take a few weeks and seriously challenge the role of excess in our lives? To make room for God. To make room for generosity. To make room for loving others. To make room for peace. I am going to start January 5th...let me know if youre in with me and we can share our experiences together. Lets take the start of this New Year to focus how much more we can give to others instead of ourselves.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:48:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015