Each December, I pray about dedicating the first days or weeks of the New Year to a time of fasting and prayer. I believe in giving the first and best of my year the same as I believe in giving the first and best of my resources. This year, I feel New Life is to do something out of the ordinary because we are living in extraordinary times. Therefore, the 90-day challenge is beginning at New Life on January 1st and will continue through the end of March.
The 90-day Challenge is meant to help all of us do four things:
* Be even more thankful for all God is doing in our lives.
* Set aside a percentage of our income and give it away.
* Live below our means by following a budget.
* Look for every opportunity to serve others.
For the next 90 days, I am hoping all New Lifers will join me on this journey. For many of us, this challenge will be far more difficult than any previous time of fasting food, sweets, or television. Our finances and our attitudes are usually the last parts of our lives that we give to God. Living for others, giving sacrificially, being thankful and controlling our spending appetites will produce an amazing amount of spiritual fruit. In fact, all of the very mature believers I know live this type of lifestyle and are generally not affected by greed and selfishness.
The reason the challenge will last to the end of March is simple. It takes time to break old harmful habits and establish healthy new ones. Let’s all stay committed to encouraging one another on this journey and let’s be diligent to share our stories of God’s goodness and faithfulness. These stories are guaranteed for everyone who finishes the challlenge. In fact, I truly believe that people will be so changed by these spiritual principles that they will choose to live like this for the rest of their lives.