Lent Day 36, Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021

“Spend No Money Today (24-hours)”

Ha Ha!  Think you can do it?  Can you make it an entire day without spending any money?  Can you make it today with no trips to the ATM, no auto drafts, no debit or credit cards, no checks, no “signatures” on the club charge account, or any other means of spending currency?  This will be much more difficult than we might expect.  (Other rules:  Giving money to someone in need is always acceptable.  Your child or grandchild does not qualify as someone “in need”, although they might disagree.  If you have auto-drafts and auto-pays disbursing today, begin immediately after the disbursement and continue for 24-hours.)

If we stopped to think about it, we would probably be appalled at the amount of money we spend in frivolous places.  And yet, when it comes to a legitimate need, such as a homeless person, the Church, or our local food pantry, we tighten our purse strings as if we’re suddenly poor.

This week, our intent is to focus on the blessings that God has provided.  As we journey through our day, take some time to think about the financial resources God has provided.  Consider the money we would be spending if it weren’t for this silly Lenten Challenge.  The local drug store is important, but how many times do we enter the store intending to purchase just our medicine, and we walk out with two sacks full of “non-essentials”?

Take the Challenge:  Spend no money or currency today, or for the 24-hours immediately following today’s auto payment.   Then, express thankfulness to God for providing the resources that never cause us to wonder if we’ll be able to afford our next meal.

 “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.”  (1 Timothy 6:17-19, NLT)