It’s not often that I hear the word decrease and think, yep that is what I want (unless of course it is regarding my weight.)
Decrease, lessen, reduce, drop, diminish, decline or dwindle all are words that I do not associate with goals I have for myself, my income or my relationships.
But John challenges us in 3:30 to look at decrease in a positive light. “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” NLT
This verse is in the middle of section called John’s testimony concerning Jesus. John's desire to become more like Christ is a deep lifelong journey.
If Christ is to become greater and greater in our world, in our lives we must become less and less. How do we do that?
Alicia Britt Chole has just released a book called
40 Days of Decrease: A Different Kind of Hunger. A Different Kind of Fast. The book has challenged me to look at how I can have more of Christ and less of me in my everyday life.
I am excited to invite you to join me in a deeper study of how we can decrease many of the things this world has tricked us into thinking are just normal everyday life and increase Christ in us.
Alicia’s words of encouragement come from a place of honestly and real life. She helps us to see how we can hunger more for Him than we ever have before.
Here is one example of her teaching that ministered to my soul. “And in the midst of Jesus journey, He felt troubled. Clearly, then a troubled soul is not always the sign of a faith deficit. A troubled soul is sometimes the signature of obedience-in-the-making.” (Alicia Britt Chole)
Hungering to know Him more leads to the challenge of Fasting. Fasting is another of those concepts which does not have great appeal to me. But the fasts which Alicia challenges us with throughout this book has made the thought of fasting something I look forward to each day.
Fasting: speeding past sorrow, isolation, discontentment, willful sin and withholding brought about change in my soul.
I am confident that if you join us in this study you will be changed too.
I love the format of the book! The daily teachings, room for reflection and fasts are full of richness and challenge, they caused me to sit with the reading and desire to know the truth of it more deeply. Alicia’s sharing of the Biblical stories we have heard many times brought new insight and understanding.
Join me in leaving that which you have known as decrease and fasting and join me in finding them anew with the Love of our Lord and His longing for us to know Him more in 40 Days of Decrease.
We will have daily readings during Lent, daily questions to ponder and a private community on Facebook to share what we are learning and how we are growing through the study and fasts.
As I invite you to join us I want to leave you with one more of Alicia’s teachings which I found such a great representation of what I desire our time together to be like.
“We know nothing of their (the disciples) backstories. But then, in many ways, backstories matter little once Jesus enters the room…. whatever the cause of our physical and spiritual blindness, whatever family we do or do not have, whatever sins or success we count as our own, Jesus’ presence makes this moment the most important moment of our lives.” (Alicia Britt Chole )
I'm sorry our book study was complete Easter of 2016. If you would like more resources about 40 Days of Decrease be sure to visit Alicia Chole's website.
Go there Now!
Alicia Britt Chole has just released a book called 40 Days of Decrease: A Different Kind of Hunger. A Different Kind of Fast. The book has challenged me to look at how I can have more of Christ and less of me in my everyday life.
This all looks so fantastic Rayna. So glad that you area doing this!