Ever Done a Shopping Fast?
Ever done a shopping fast? No, I don’t mean ‘shopping fast’ in which you shop quickly for your most coveted items! I mean a shopping fast – in which you fast (or abstain) from shopping for a selected period of time. Many of you are likely familiar with different types of food fasts. Food fasts challenge us to abstain from eating from a certain period of time so that we might focus on prayer and seeking God’s guidance. A shopping fast operates in the same manner – only the outcome is two-fold! By abstaining from shopping, you can grow closer to God by placing priority in people and nature rather than material items AND you are able to discipline your spending habits into a much wiser shape – thus allowing you to be more generous!
Back in November, three friends in my small group and I did a three-month shopping fast. For three months, we didn’t purchase anything other than basic grocery items and basic toiletry items. No arts and crafts, no clothing, no specialty food items, no jewelry or other accessories. Nothing other than basic groceries and basic toiletries. We allowed ourselves $20/month to spend if something absolutely came up that we needed – such as a pair of gloves or some type of specialty food treat for a birthday party; but other than that, we spent nothing. We ended it on the day of the Generosity Conference in February. The result? We were able to increase our generosity to the ministries and people we love! AND it’s amazing how much you realize you can live without….
A week later, I challenged Community‘s Yellow Box campus to a 6-month shopping fast challenge with me. So beginning on February 9, I began another 6-month shopping fast. Many attenders from Community have joined along in this with me, and I would like to challenge some of you out there to join in as well – even if only for a month or two. Who’s in?? Maybe you don’t spend a lot on shopping…. maybe it’s something else… maybe it’s fast food…. What will you fast from?…
3 Responses to “Ever Done a Shopping Fast?”
March 12th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
A hard challenge for sure…but a very good one indeed. Way to word it, Julz! I hope many will step up and take the challenge!! I would love to brag that I haven’t shopped for the past 3 months…but that wasn’t by choice.
March 12th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
That shopping fast is a really cool idea! Im so excited youre on the internet now! All you need now is a facebook! I love you and I miss you a LOT! Thanks for the letter of rec!
Love,
Mern
April 13th, 2015 at 4:24 am
Any time you’re shopping for precious metal coinage, typically the swiss 20 franc does well as a dependable asset.
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