Benjamin L. Corey

Benjamin L. Corey

BLC is an author, speaker, scholar, and global traveler, who holds graduate degrees in Theology & Intercultural Studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and received his doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller. He is the author of Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus, and Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith.

5 Practices Toward A More Radical Christian Life (a challenge to my readers)

The message of Jesus is radical: the key to "life" isn't through saving your life, but through giving it away. To enter into his Kingdom and the radical life he promises, we must rid ourselves of the two things that get in the way: a love affair with ourselves and with our possessions. Here are 5 practices to change your life:
2013. Lunch at a child care center for children who live in the brothels of Mumbai.

The older I get the more convinced I become that as rich Americans, you and I are at a tremendous disadvantage to experiencing the depths of the Kingdom Jesus came to inaugurate. Jesus of course is the one who famously said that it’s “easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom”, a verse we often grow up thinking was about them when really it was about us.

Yesterday I started to share with you some of my experiences working in India (full article here, including some of my favorite images from the project) and how these experiences have reminded me that the Christian association with wealth, especially here in the American Empire, is inappropriate for Jesus followers. I am convinced that our unhealthy relationship with richness actually can (and often does) prevent us from entering the “Kingdom” Jesus so often taught about.

Slums of Mumbai

While I’ve traveled to more than 40 countries and spent nearly 8 years living outside the US, it has been my time in India (and more specifically my time in the slums & brothel areas) that has most motivated me to rid myself of American materialism so that I’m free to embrace the Kingdom Jesus spoke of.

The culture of the Kingdom is a backwards place where, as Jesus described, the “first will be last and the last will be first”. It’s upside down. Backwards. Whatever “empire” does, Kingdom does the opposite. The forgotten faces of an empire sit on thrones in the Kingdom.

Jesus of course, reminds us that we can live in the Kingdom right now, and invites us to step away from the comforts of empire so that we can experience the beauty of radical life in the Kingdom.

Such a transition, however, is difficult to make– at least it was for me. Radical living is not part of my nature. Giving my life away instead of finding ways to prop it up, was never something I was taught. For this privileged American, entering the Kingdom was hard.

Yes, the Kingdom is backwards on every level. The ultimate reality I discovered was that I was not free to fully embrace this new way of living until I was free from the unhealthy love affair I was having with myself, and with my possessions. The secret to the Kingdom is that you find your meaning through giving your life away– the exact opposite of what empire teaches!

In this regard, if we want to fully embrace the Kingdom Jesus invites us into, we must enact principles of living that free us from the key things that keep us out of the Kingdom: self and possessions. The following are the five practices I’ve been working on over the last few years that I have found to be a path to freedom; these practices have changed my life. If you put them into practice, consistently, I am convinced that you will discover a radical new life that is beyond anything you’ve experienced before… something Jesus (and now I) call, the “Kingdom”.

2013. Private school in Mumbai slums.

1. Practice purging possessions.

This was perhaps the most difficult new practice to learn and is one that I still long to master. Wherever I’ve gone I’ve always traipsed around with too much “stuff” that I had poor excuses for holding onto. Everything had a potential future use, or was declared “sentimental” (which meant I allowed myself to keep it without reason). As hard as it is, we need to purge! At least once a year I go back to what is left of the many boxes I used to carry around and get rid of anything I don’t legitimately need. At first it is hard, but I am finding that each time I do this it gets easier, and I feel more free. I do the same thing with my clothes and anything else I own– as often as I can, I go through them and I get rid of (give away) anything that I don’t need. Practice this long enough, and you’ll find that you no longer have all this “stuff” hanging over your head and needless possessions weighing you down.

2. Practice curbing your impulse to acquire.

You and I are surrounded by thousands of messages every day that tell us we NEED MORE. 99.9% of the time, these messages are lies that need to be resisted. Failure to do so invites us into a never ending cycle where we’re always seeking happiness in the next big thing. Such a life is futile and never leads to happiness. However, this is hard stuff as Americans– the only way to beat the impulse to acquire is to starve it to death. I used to be incredibly materialistic (thus, #1) and became addicted to having the next best thing, and having it now. While it has taken 3-4 years of practice, today I never allow myself to acquire a “want” on impulse but instead force myself to wait until the desire passes. It’s like fighting a craving– the more you fight it the less powerful it becomes, and you eventually master it instead of it mastering you. This ultimately leads to a freedom from want, which is one of the best feelings in the world.

Assam, India. 2012

3. Practice fasting.

This is quite similar to #2, but recovering the practice of fasting was a spiritual behavior that helped me progressively learn to better master general “wants”.  The tradition of fasting is simply a predetermined period of time where you deny yourself something without giving in. When you fast, you give yourself a bite-sized opportunity to learn that you’ll really be okay with less. We often think of fasting as being from food, but I would encourage you to think bigger. For example, last year for lent I fasted for 40 days from reading websites that usually just made me angry (but I loved reading them). By the end of the 40 day fast I realized I was free from them, and haven’t been back all year. I would encourage you to try it out by scheduling two fasts per year, and do it for a chunk of time that you feel you can achieve– the goal is to get some “wins” under your belt so you develop the confidence to rid yourself of bigger wants.

1-3 serve as the preparation for a life spent doing 4 & 5, but practice these NOW and see how life-giving they are:
 

4. Practice radical generosity.

Find opportunities to give money and possessions away, and do it with a good attitude. If this is hard for you, start small (like we learned in fasting) and let the satisfaction it brings spur you to be progressively more generous. Research some causes that you’re passionate about and find ways that you can give to the cause. Find people in your local area who have a need you can meet, and go meet it. Challenge yourself each year to be more generous than the year before, and even become willing to sacrifice so that you can maintain a lifestyle of generosity. The want to be generous is the only want you’ll never have to fight– just give into it. If you try this long enough you might actually discover that you enjoy giving your money away more than you enjoy spending it on yourself.

Assam, 2011

5. Practice radical hospitality.

Hospitality is a form of generosity but goes a bit further. Hospitality is what generosity looks like in a relationship. Make your home a place where people can gather and where you serve them. Increase the frequency that you invite guests over, telling them that they don’t have to bring anything “other than themselves”. Through hospitality, you’re not simply being generous but you’re also developing meaningful relationships which are essential to Kingdom living. Furthermore, if you want to show hospitality the way Jesus describes, make sure you’re inviting people over that you normally would not think to invite! One time Jesus told a story about the Kingdom and in the story he says to “go out into the streets and invite the excluded to come in and sit down at the table”. So, be hospitable, but be hospitable with people who who are often excluded.

How has living these 5 practices changed my life? In more ways than I can describe- these 5 practices have led to a whole new life that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Here’s my challenge: commit yourself to practicing these 5 things over the next 90 days (just try each of them at least once) and see what changes in your life. Write to me about your experience at the end of the 90 days, and I’ll compile some of your stories to share with the other readers.

Who’s in?

 

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Benjamin L. Corey

Benjamin L. Corey

BLC is an author, speaker, scholar, and global traveler, who holds graduate degrees in Theology & Intercultural Studies from Gordon-Conwell, and earned his doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller.

He is the author of Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith, and Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus.

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19 Responses

  1. These are really interesting thoughts, and good ideas. I’ll see what I can do. I’m generally pretty generous, but fasting will be hard for me. I love my own cooking too much. Perhaps more guests can help:-)

    1. Glad you’ll try it! Remember– fasting doesn’t have to be from food. Sometimes, I do just one food item that I need to learn to tame, like my soda intake. Other times, I don’t fast from food at all but instead will ask “what are some things that are draining life from me and unhealthy?” and I’ll pick stuff off that list that I’ll stop doing for the fast. Fasting should ultimately be something that makes your life richer and more complete instead of something that is difficult for no reason. Hope this helps!

  2. My funds are pretty limited ( I work for people with developmental disabilities, the pay scale is low), so I am going to have to think out side the box for # ‘s 1and 4. The rest I think I can do ( maybe). I accept your challenge.

      1. If Tlynn works for people with developmental disabilities, isn’t that in itself an act of service? My daughter is autistic, so many thanks to you, Tlynn!

  3. This is really helpful. I have for the last few years started trying to be more minimalistic. My hubby and i are not really hoarders, so it’s not too hard in that respect. The peer pressure to have a nice house with nice things is a different thing tho. I struggle not to want to keep up with my peers, and have to fight that thought at times. My husband is a giver, to the point I have to stop him so we can eat! But, he also has mild aspergers, which means hes not a huge people fan, and this i have struggled with over the years, as i love people. So hospitality is a hard one. But the list is very helpful, and It good to have something concrete to try and work towards. Thanks for the article. 🙂

  4. An anthropologist concurs.

    “But there is also a Zen road to affluence, which states that human material wants are finite and few, and technical means unchanging but on the whole adequate. Adopting the Zen strategy, a people can enjoy an unparalleled material plenty—with a low standard of living.”

    ~Marshall Sahlins (1973) The Original Affluent Society: Stone Age Economics

    1. So true. I also discovered some of this studying Buddhism at seminary. While I’m totally Christian, I appreciate truth wherever I find it and really found the concept of suffering being linked to a frustrated desire, to be true. The path to nirvana, is resisting desire and becoming the master of it. I think such a principle also fits withing a Jesus framework as well, and have found it to be an important life-practice.

  5. I am challenged by your 5 things. My hardest is #3. Gluttony is my hardest sin to overcome. I’m never tempted to cheat on my husband or my taxes but I am always tempted to overeat. Until 5 years ago my husband and I practiced radical hospitality but with him totally disabled it is so hard but I will accept your challenge to at least try. Blessings Ben.
    your covered sister

    1. Hi Jill, I read your post and wanted to share with you my own struggle with gluttony and bulimia. I’ve been a christian all my life and could not seem to overcome in either of these sins. One day I was scrolling through a website and found a link to “Setting the Captives Free”. I went onto their website and found a wonderful, free resource that has really helped me see gluttony as God see’s gluttony. I thought I’d share it with you so that you can check it out and see if it might be a resource for you, too. This website also has resources for people struggling in other areas of their life…I hope it blesses you. Blessings, Sonya

      http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com

      1. Dear Sonya1978, Thank you so much for the encouraging words and website. I have checked it out and think I will try and start it. I so appreciate you.
        Your covered sister

    2. My covered sister– your life story shows that you’ve been doing these things far better than most of us here, so I’m quite sure you get a free pass on any additional hospitality. You keep doing those beautiful things that you’re doing.

  6. This is really great. I have been really feeling the conviction to do more of late, and these are some very practical steps. I particularly like the fasting suggestion. I was introduced to fasting as a way to get something you want very young and so have always avoided it. This puts it in a very different light.

  7. Thanks for this. It’s the same for me. I find the wealth of America draws me, and yet repulses me at the same time. Pray, give, and live on less.

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