My buddy Ron got me started on this book by Francis Chan called “Crazy Love”. I am only 30 pages in but I highly recommend it for any one who is truely serious about have a love relationship with God. I guess I have enjoyed the book so much because many of the thoughts and feeling that I have been having regarding God are also described in this book. Let me give you an example.
In the preface Chan says that he hopes “reading this book will convice you of something: that by surrendering yourself totally to God’s purposes, He whill bring ou the most pleasure in this life and the next.”
Chapter one is called stop praying. “He says what if I told you to stop talking AT God for a while, but instead to take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word?” A lot of times I feel that I stink at being a christian and a pastor because I am not a “prayer warrior”. I find myself not offering to God the sacrifice of fools. See my post from January regarding that.
Did you know that God is Holy, all knowing, all powerful, fair and just? Why then do we think and act as if life is all about US! Chan quotes Psalms 115:3 whichs says ”Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” And then Chan says this. ”Yet we keep on questioning him: ‘Why did You make me with this body, instead of that one?’ ‘Why are so many people dying of starvation?’…..” WHY WHY WHY.
Let me answer the question of starvation quick. This came to me as I read this and I think its awesome. BECAUSE we make life all about US instead of God. If we would simly live as God desires for us to there would not be starvation. Its not God’s fault. He loves us and because of that love He gives us choices. We chose to go our own way. Gods way is to ”Be fruitful and Multiply”. To ”fill the earth and subdue it.” See Genesis 1. The Bible talks over and over again about our responsibilty to care for the poor and those in need. Life stinks and is not fair because we chose to life for ME, MYSELF and I. Sin messed this place up not God.
I could go on and on, but I am going to stop. Go pick up “crazy love” and read it. Or better yet pick up your Bible and fall crazy in love with the Author. For some of you to fall deeper in love with God your going to have to begin focusing on God and not yourself. Your gonna have to make your live about living for Him and not me. My Lifestyle His Glory.
This might me that you will have to STOP PRAYING at GOD and simply listen. Talk back when HE speaks to your heart and you feel the only response that you can give is by speaking back to Him.
I guess part of my crazy thought is the fact that I am still captivated and fascinated by God. I dont have Him figured out. Often I dont understand Him. I simply dont get it. But I am falling so in love with Him and the scary thing is…. I am not following anyones model of what this love should look except Christ who offered His all for His love of the Father.
Filed under: Drinking Deep, God's Glory, Think Deep, Worship | Tagged: Crazy Love, Francis Chan, God, Inside Outside, Love, Prayer, Reading, Relationship with God, Steve Fee
