If I deal with wrong for any other 

reason than that implied in the words, 

"From His right hand went a fiery 

law for them. Yea, He loved the 

people";

if I can rebuke without a pang,

then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I know little of His pitifulness

(the Lord turned and looked at Peter), 

if I know little of His courage of 

hopefulness for the truly humble and penitent 

(He saith unto him, "feed My lambs"),

then I know nothing of Calvary love. 

If I do not feel far more for the grieved Savior

than for my worried self 

when troublesome things occur, 

than I know nothing of Calvary love. 

If I can write an unkind letter, 

speak an unkind word, 

think an unkind thought without

grief and shame, 

the I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can enjoy a joke at the expense of another; 

if I can in any way slight another in conversation, 

or even in thought,

then I know nothing of Calvary love. 

The fast I choose

Last week I posted this verse from Isaiah--

Is not this the fast that I choose;

to loose the bonds of wickedness, 

to undo the straps of the yoke, 

to let the oppressed go free, 

and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry 

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover him,

and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

  

Today, I watched this video and was convicted pretty quickly. 

1.4 billion people in the world live on less than $1.25 a day. 

I spent $1.50 on a Diet Dr. Pepper today and I do on a lot of days. 

How can I so easily spend what someone lives off of? And its nothing to me. I didn't even think about it. 

But I am now. 

And so, to take Isaiah's words, this is the fast that I am choosing. No more Diet Dr. Pepper, no more Diet Coke. No more dropping a person's entire earnings so that I can get a drink. 

At church on Sunday, JD talked about giving generously. Sometimes it is hard to think about giving. But it is easy to buy a drink? Something isn't right there. I was listening to one of David Platt's sermons (he's one of my favorite pastors, I listen to him on my way to class) and he said that in America, we spend more on dog food than we do foreign missions. Dog food. 

I'm not saying give up the dog and he wasn't either, but we need to seriously look at what we are spending our money on and whether or not it is crucial to our lives and whether or not it is stopping us from giving. 

I'll say it again, 1.4 billion people live on less than the amount that we spend on soda. 

I'm done. I'm done throwing away that money that would be so precious to them. 

What fast will you choose?

If I can enjoy a joke at the expense of another;

if I can in any way slight another in conversation, 

or even in thought, 

then I know nothing of Calvary love.