Okay, so my mom just got back from Minnesota and she brought back a book for me to read. It's called "Crazy Love" and it's by Francis Chan. OH MY FLIP!!!!! It is amazing. Incredible. Challenging. I just finished reading a chapter that blew my mind and I had to run upstairs and write down my thoughts.
The chapter's called "Profile of the Lukewarm" and it starts off with this quote:
"It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel. It is proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow- hearted prosperity."
Wow. When I stop and reflect on that quote, it is SO true. HOW can we as Christians, who have been given this AMAZING, INCREDIBLE gift just throw it away so easily. Why do we always just want the EASY parts of Christianity....the parts that we can pick and choose because they're comfortable and they don't REALLY truly affect our lives in a negative way.
"The irony is that while God doesn't need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don't really want Him most of the time. He treasures us and anticipates our departure from this earth to be with Him- and we wonder, indifferently, how much we have to do for Him to get by." (Chan, 61)
I have this picture of God standing right beside me, waving to get my attention and trying to show me how much He loves me, but I just look right past Him and ignore Him. He's trying to show me all the wonderful things He has in store for my life with Him, but I keep doubting His promises and pretending that I can control and handle things on my own.....
HE desperately wants us to WANT Him. He never forces us to love Him, or to read our Bibles, or even to pray....but He's just waiting for us to have a "lightbulb" moment where we realize....that He's always been there. He's ALWAYS been there. He's the one that's with us in our greatest joys, and our deepest hurts. When we don't feel like we can take another step..... He's the one who's CHEERING like mad for us to keep going....to keep persevering.....our #1 fan, and we don't even thank Him half the time....
What good is it to Him, if we read our Bibles just to please him, without really wanting to?! I want to WANT to read my Bible, to have a hunger for more of God because He deserves it and because I love Him. Not because I'm guilty and think that I "should" to be a "good" Christian. He deserves so much more than our lukewarm faith.... that loves Him when times are good....but how "DARE" He do something that causes us pain or hurt? Why do we think this way? Why do we think it's all about us?? It's not. And as hard as it is for my selfish, human mind to comprehend....I don't deserve this love that He gives me. But He still gives it to me none the less. Wow.
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