30 Days of HeartworkSample

Knowing God by Living Like Him

HEART //

At this point in the book of Jeremiah, God stepped in and spoke to the kings who were leading the nation of Judah. He rebuked them for how they were neglecting and even oppressing some of the people. The current king was building his own kingdom and palace by unrighteous and unjust acts. God saw the needs of his people and desired to set things right. He commanded the king to make justice and righteousness a priority in leading the nation. In fact, God said that defending the cause of those who are poor and in need is ultimately what it means to know him.

To truly know God is to know what he is like and what things he cares about. His heart is compassionate toward those who are in need, and he talks about loving the poor all throughout Scripture. He sees our needs when we are broken, hurting, and most vulnerable, and he is with us, sending help. Therefore, we cannot claim to know God and then live a comfortable or self-focused life while ignoring the needs of those around us because it's simply contrary to our Lord's heart.

The issues of poverty and injustice in our world are deep and complex. It will take generations of change to make a dent in the issues at large. But there is a choice each one of us can only make for ourselves. We can choose to make justice a priority in our own lives by becoming educated on the issues in our world, being willing to change our ways, and living simple lives that are marked by compassion rather than self-serving consumerism.

In his book Crazy Love, Francis Chan addresses this issue in our modern church. He states, “The concept of downsizing so that others might upgrade is biblical, beautiful... and nearly unheard of. We either close the gap or don't take the words of the Bible literally.” We, as Christians, must be willing to step outside of our society's norms and ask God honestly, “How can I best serve Your Kingdom?” There is so much we can do!

WORK //

How much of your resources (your money spent, plus time and mental activity) are spent on your clothes and your entertainment? Try to calculate time and cost per week, then multiply it by 52 to think about the whole year. Now, of course, we all spend time and money on these things. But when you’re finished, answer a couple of questions… Am I happy with this number? What is my motivation? Fun clothes, food, and activities are great things, but how much of yourself is being spent in search of popularity, escaping reality, or just plain boredom?

Ask God to search your heart and help you to understand the difference between things you “need” and the things you “want.” In which areas of your life could you consider LESS in a culture that is always pushing for you to want and "need" more?