During the season of Lent, many at City Church have chosen to participate in fasting in two-week increments. As we wrap up the food portion of our fast this Saturday, we look ahead to a time of fasting from excess spending.

It’s nothing new to observe that we are part of a culture that encourages us in the pursuit of more. More money, more stuff, more gadgets, more and more of what we don’t need to fill a spiritual hole that will never be satisfied with stuff. It’s a place in us that needs God; needs, sometimes, to be empty for a while before we realize we can’t fill it on our own. Many of us have also gotten accustomed to getting what we want instantaneously--there are companies that will deliver your lunch to you in 15 minutes or less, and we start getting impatient when we hit minute 16. Part of what we learn when we fast from excess spending is that our contentment depends only on God, and not what we have or how quickly we can feed our appetites.

In these next two weeks, we will look at how we spend our money on things we don’t need. This may be a large portion of your income, or it may be very small; either way, we invite you to take a look at how you are spending your money and, for two weeks, purchase only what you really need. Consider what it means to spend wisely, and save the money you are saving to give toward a person or organization in need. Consider, too, how you might be already receiving what you really need from God.