Materialism Challenge Part 2

I have struggled deeply with the concept of spending and glorifying God. As I wrote briefly about in Materialism Challenge Part 1, I have been wrestling with convictions towards our spending. As my convictions deepen, I started to hear God speak to me about a very real part of our life.

Our lease on our apartment is up in the end of May. We have been feeling extremely claustrophobic in our current apartment ever since G was born. We have so much stuff, and adding the items needed for a baby didn't help. We made the decision to move. As we began lightly apartment hunting about 2 months ago the Lord continue to speak and deepen my convictions on our materialism.

So many people would give anything to have the "stuff" we have that is cluttering our home. So many people would give anything to have the apartment we do. To the majority of the world, we are living in such luxury. Yet, in our culture, it seemed time for an upgrade for us. How selfish we have been living. How selfish we have been spending. How selfish we have been acquiring.

I began to allow Him to tell me what He wants to do with our items, our living situation, and our income. This transformation is and has been a very difficult one and one that God has to continually renew everyday because most days my flesh wants to take over and spend our money how we want to. How prideful am I to even think this is our money?

A few months ago, after searching God's answers to our money and living situation it became clear to me what God was calling us to. Now this calling may seem "drastic" to some people and even to my flesh at times. This calling did not just require sacrifice from my family but from another family. I knew that if this calling was from God, He would work out the details, and work in changing the hearts of ALL parties involved. I prayed. I prayed daily for every person involved. I do not think I have ever prayed more for any other decision in my life. Through this prayer, not only did God change the hearts of all people involved but He showed up in HUGE ways and drew me nearer to Him in a completely different way.

To me, this is huge. Not because of the sacrifice we are going to make, but because what I believe God wants to do through it.

After months of prayer, changed hearts, and dying to our flesh, we made the decision we feel is going to bring glory to God.

Tim, Gracelyn and I have decided instead of moving to a bigger apartment with more space, we are going to "declutter" our home, give things away, and move into a small townhome with Aaron Zapata & Julie once they marry July 2nd. We signed the lease last night and we are so excited to see how God is going to use this.

Now, we know this will probably raise a few eyebrows but please know the following things:

1. We are NOT doing this because we think it is going to be fun.

2. We are NOT doing this for attention for us, but only attention for God and His work

3. We are doing this for God's glory and God's plan

4. We are doing this because we feel God calls us to give, and give radically at times, not just our possession but also our comfortable lives.

5. We KNOW this is going to be a sacrifice on ALL our parts; Aaron & Julie's first year of marriage, G first year of life growing up in a lot less space, and Tim & I adjusting to living with another couple after 3.5 years on our own.

Please hear our hearts in this. For it is for His glory alone we are doing it. In doing this, we are going to be paying a lot less than we currently do, which will free up a ton to put aside for what God has planned for. I will write more about our plans in living together in Part 3, but for now, just pray along with us because this is going to be a sacrifice on all of our parts and Satan is going to try to destroy this. Pray that we would be strong, and continue to die to our flesh and material possessions daily.

We are called not to a comfortable life, but to one that will bring glory to God. As Christians we need to each individually wrestle with what God is calling us to do with our money and possessions.

"The lesson I learned is that the war against materialism in our hearts is exactly that: a war. It is a constant battle to resist the temptation to have more luxuries, to acquire more stuff, and to live more comfortably. It requires strong and steady resolve to live out the gospel in the middle of an American dream that identifies success as moving up the ladder, getting the bigger house, purchasing the nicer car, buying the better clothes, eating the finer food, and acquiring more things." -Radical by David Platt