United Fresno

While we’re on the subject of skipping meals (and I hope you’re doing well with your fasting), let’s talk about another common reason why we might just forget to eat. This one is probably pretty common amongst those trying to lose weight— crash dieting.

I won’t pick on this too much except for simply mentioning that “crash dieting” is usually the byproduct of a lifetime or a long period of time of being undisciplined. In other words, you overkill on doing the “right thing” to make up for years of doing the wrong thing. Sounds like there might be some spiritual nugget in there…

Let’s get back to that verse in Chronicles: “’[If] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and will heal their land’” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

I want to concentrate on that part that talks about “turn[ing] from [our] wicked ways.” The truth is that there was and always has been “crash diet religion” in the lives of God’s people. What does that look like? Well, I think it’s the idea that we get from those commercials for those machines that zap our muscles without us working out: “you can change without really changing.” Crash diets seem really noble at the time. “Wow, look at that person’s discipline!” But, when it comes down to it, more than likely the person isn’t really going to change (adopting a healthy diet, exercise habits, etc.) Where’s the good in that?

The idea of turning from our wicked ways goes way, way beyond saying “I’m sorry” or feeling guilty about it. It even goes beyond making oaths to friends or standing up or crying at youth retreats. It is about addressing the sin head on and making choices to move in a right direction. God calls His people to “turn from their wicked ways.” There’s really no crash way to do that. I am thankful, though, for all the support that I receive through the rest of my Christian friends to help me stay on the right path, the healthy path. Do you have people to help you?

“Jesus, I come to You now, admitting that there have been far too many times where I’ve just said ‘I’m sorry’ or felt guilty about the sin in my life. _________ (be honest with God). Jesus, I know that Your death on the Cross cleansed me from that sin; but, Jesus, I want to live a life that honors You as I live on this earth. Jesus, that I would grow closer and closer to You every day and cast aside those habits and behaviors that just don’t match up with a life that honors You. I want to turn away. Help me to turn away from my wicked ways. Amen.”

I sleep through breakfast a lot. Actually, if I’m not careful, I tend to skip a lot of meals because I’m so into something. I end up paying for it later because I feel so hungry that I eat a huge meal that puts me into a food coma. So, yeah, I’m used to skipping meals; but not for the reasons that we are doing it this week.

In that passage in Chronicles, God tells Solomon that His people need to humble themselves, but they also need to “pray and seek [His] face.” This calling is a little more subtle. We need to be intentional about making time and taking time to pray and seek God’s face. Is it really possible for a whole city like Fresno/Clovis to be changed by God’s redemptive work? That’s a fair question. I think that the best way that it can happen, though, is if Jesus’ followers hit their knees and intentionally seek the face of God.

What does prayer accomplish? Well, here are a few things that I have discovered over the past few months as I’ve been trying to mature in how I go about intentionally praying. Prayer is an opportunity to praise God. Prayer is an opportunity to realign my will with God’s will. Prayer is an opportunity to ask in faith for God to move in others’ lives and our lives. Prayer is an opportunity to confess our sin and be made clean before our Father. Prayer is a time of examination of our hearts— seeing if perhaps there are places where we are holding onto grudges against other people. Prayer is a time to ask God to remove temptations. Prayer is a time to ask for safety from the evil one. There is a lot there. There is more than that.

My day sometimes goes by and I realize that I skipped a meal. My stomach grumbles, maybe I have a headache, or maybe I’m just irritable. Do we experience those same soul grumblings in our life when we don’t seek God? I think this is why fasting helps remind us to seek God’s face.

Are you spending real quality time in prayer, or is more like “God, um, uh, thank You for this day. I pray that, uh, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…”? You pray while you fall asleep. You pray on the fly. You pray while you are distracted. I would encourage you to follow what God calls Solomon and the people of Israel to do— pray and seek God’s face.

“Father, I praise You for all that you have done in my life: ____________. Father, I know that there are areas of my life that I feel really strongly about what should happen or what I should do (like _____________); but I pray that Your will is done in those situations. Father, I pray for people in my life: ___________. Father, I also have things that I strongly desire in my own life: __________. Father, forgive me for ____________ (be specific). Father, I pray that you would examine my heart and reveal to me any unforgiveness towards others that’s buried in there. Father, I pray that You would remove the traps and temptations in my life: ___________. Father, I understand that You have a will for my life; but I also understand that the evil one does as well. Father, protect me from his plans. Help me to be attentive to Your Spirit throughout my day. Amen.”

OK, so I haven’t mentioned what we’ve been fasting from for the past couple of days because I wanted to not remind you and torture you. Truth is, you’re probably already thinking about how you’re going to get caught up on your favorite shows (hulu.com anyone?) or games (ESPN.com). Maybe you’ve even been giving your video game controllers knowing glances. OK…that was probably a bit too far.

But, there really this feeling that, man, without being able to connect to the world of entertainment, we are really missing out.

I think it’s important to realize, though, that Jesus’ prayer for us is definitely not something we want to miss out on. Here’s that same prayer from The Message paraphrase of the Bible…

“I’m praying not only for [My disciples] but also for those who will believe in Me because of [My disciples] and their witness about Me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— just as you, Father, are in Me and I in You, so they might be one heart and mind with Us. Then the world might believe that You, in fact, sent me. The same glory You gave Me, I gave them, so they’ll be as unified and together as We are— I in them and You in Me. Then they’ll be mature in this oneness, and give the godless world evidence that You’ve sent Me and loved them in the same way You’ve loved Me” (John 17:20-23).

This passage really speaks for itself. Are you starting to understand why the United movement is about way more than just making a mega youth camp? This is Jesus’ desire for His Church (big “C” meaning all of the Christians out there, not just a building at an address). He doesn’t want us to miss out on the maturity that can come from being “one heart and mind.”

One heart. One mind. Can’t lose…

“Jesus, I want to be part of the answers to Your prayers. I want to bring unity to Your Church here in my city. Father, I want to make Your name great at my school. God, I want You to be made known to the world through the way that I live my life. Amen.”

What if we all meant that prayer?

• At midnight tonight we are starting our meal fast. You can go a number of routes on this one. You could simply skip one meal per day (although, if you normally skip breakfast, eat breakfast and skip another meal). Or, perhaps you could substitute your meals with only fruits and vegetables (like Daniel did in the Bible). There are other kinds of fasts, but I would really recommend planning and talking to your youth pastor and parents before embarking on anything that could be a potential health risk.**

I’m about to lose cool points. I’m about to sound old, I’m sure. But, you know what really frustrates me? I get really thrown off when I see a family together (on a vacation, whatever), and members of the family are all pretty much doing everything in their power to show that they are so over it. Mom is busy reading a book, off in romance novel land. Dad is checking his fantasy stats while also answering email on his Blackberry. Teenager has the ear buds in, listening to his music, texting with his friends, with a hood over the head, as if to say, “If I wear this magic hood, no one will notice that I am here; and everyone will leave me alone.” Oh, and even kid is on her DS, partying with Mario.

You can take the hint. They don’t enjoy one another’s company. They would rather pursue their lives, their hobbies. It’s written all over their faces.

What’s written on our faces?

Here’s what Jesus prays will be written all over us…

“‘That they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me’” (John 17:23b).

Jesus wants us to have God’s love written all over our faces. He desires for it to be obvious that there is an amazing, loving God. At United Camp, we are definitely going to be spending a good chunk of time talking about “social justice”; and I think that is a great place to show that obvious love. What’s our heart towards people? When we see a need, do we turn away from one another (kind of like that family that I mentioned earlier) or do we lean in and offer love and support?

What’s written on our faces?

Let’s be blatantly obvious about our love for God and His love for us to this world. Something tells me that, if we do that, that love is going to affect everyone around us…

“Lord, I am so thankful for the love that You have for me. If I’m honest, I know that oftentimes I don’t really reflect the love that You have for me in my life. I have a hard time accepting that You truly love me and truly forgive me for my sin. Father, I also have a hard time loving people. ______________ (confess to God any grudges, blow-ups, frustrations, or unforgiveness you may have). Lord, forgive me for taking Your love but not giving it to others. Father, I want to it be so obvious in the way that I treat others that I am Yours. I want my light to shine. Amen.”

Confession time. I know it’s been awhile. I’m a trifle obsessed when it comes to video games. When I was a kid, I actually threw a Nintendo at my brother (and broke it) because he had erased a season on my baseball game in which I created the “perfect” team from scratch. I’m not the only crazy person. I saw a documentary about how these adult men actually consume hours and hours of their lives, trying to acheive the high score in Donkey Kong. It was pretty amazing and pathetic at the same time.

For some of you the biggest hurt of your fasting is the fact that you don’t get to pick up that controller and play some video games. I feel for you. I am with you.

But, while we’re on the subject of perfection, I thought it would be interesting to see if Jesus had any thoughts about it. Lo and behold, the next part of Jesus’ prayer for us talks about it…

“‘I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me’” (John 17:23a).

I like the idea of taking a mediocre or even bad team in a video game and making them amazing. Just recently I took Fresno State and made them a national power in football in a video game. But it seems that God is also interested in taking the not-so-perfect and making them perfect. Isn’t it cool to see how God “perfects” us? Unity. Jesus in us. The Father in Jesus. This matters so much because, again, the world sees that God is the real deal.

So let’s pray to be in perfect unity with Jesus and the Father…

“Father, I pray that as I stay close to Your Son that I am also close to You. Father, I am so thankful that You desire to bring us into that perfect place of being in sync with You. Father, I pray that I will continue to learn more and more about who I am in You. Show me Your heart. Show me what You care about. I want to be perfectly in sync with You. Amen.”