What do I really need?

It's not even Thanksgiving yet and already I'm reminded that the Christmas season is drawing nearer. This became apparent when I ran into one of my former students and her mother out Christmas shopping. As I wandered the store aisles, I realized that so many times I lose sight of the importance of this season and what it really means. Christ came to Earth to save sinners, but also to bring life and healing to those who were sick or dying. As the day of His birth approaches, sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the materialism of our culture.

In the midst of this realization, I ran across this passage in Isaiah:

Isaiah 58:6-9

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

I love verse 7! I stopped to think about what I've been spending my money on lately and sadly, the answer is me. It's so easy to blow money here and there without considering whether I really need what I'm buying. Jesus said, "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).

There are so many children and their families in this world who are starving or who don't have basic clothing or shelter or even clean water. When I think about it, my little "needs" are nothing in comparison to the lack of material possessions that these children face.

If you're interested in joining the kind of fasting God has chosen for His people, check out the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog (see the link). Sadly, I spend about as much on chips and salsa as I could spend to provide a blanket for someone who desperately needs one. The catalog allows you to provide clothing, food, etc. for people who otherwise wouldn't have these things. It's just a little way to give back to the One who gave so much for us. :)