Crazy Love - page 61
"The very fact that a holy, eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, merciful, and just God loves you and me is nothing short of astonishing.
The wildest part is that Jesus doesn't have to love us. His being is utterly complete and perfect, apart from humanity. He doesn't need me or you. Yet He wants us, chooses us, even considers us His inheritance (Eph. 1:18). The greatest knowledge we can ever have is knowing God treasures us.
That really is amazing beyond description. The holy Creator sees you as His "glorious inheritance".
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."
Do you ever think ... "How much do I need to do,
in order to make it to heaven?"
and ... "What do I have to give up,
in order to not spend eternity in hell?"
Or, do you think ... "What more can I do,
in order to please Him?"
and ... "What else can I give up,
in order to serve Him better?"
While both sets of questions focus on what we might need to do and what we might need to give up ... the perspective is completely different.
Sadly, many people see their Christian lives as a set of rules, and a few flexible boundary lines that they need to live within, in order to make it to heaven.
However, the holy God of the universe wants our hearts, our love, our lives. God did not create His commandments in order to bring himself pleasure ... He created rules, guidelines, and boundary lines because He wants what is BEST for us ... for you and me.
If we TRULY love the Lord with all of our hearts, our souls, our mind, and our strength ... than we will WANT to live our lives as fully pleasing unto Him. Our hearts' desire will be to love Him, to serve Him, to show Him all honor and glory with our lives.
If you are married ...
... do you love your husband because
you read a book that told you to?
... do you serve him because you signed
a wedding vow promising you would?
... do you do just enough for your marriage,
that you hope he won't file for divorce?
... do you talk politely to him when he is home,
but bad mouth him when he is gone?
... if others ask you about him, do you mumble
something about "Yea, I love him."
Or ...
... do you tell all of your friends what an
amazing man he is?
... do you get excited when you know he
will be home in a few minutes?
... do you like to cook his favorite meal,
just because he likes it?
... are you excited to talk to him every day,
and sleep in the comfort of his love every night?
Can you even comprehend that the Creator of the Universe ... loves you even more than your husband (or your mother & father) does? Don't you think that He should be able to expect even more from you than your husband expects of you?
If you TRULY love the Lord Jesus Christ, then ...
... you will be excited to
tell all your friends about Him.
... you will look forward to
spending time with Him every day.
... you will look for ways to do
the things He has asked you to do,
and you will WANT to do those things.
... you will spend time with him before bed,
and you will sleep in the comfort of His love.
I LOVE the LORD!!!
I WANT to serve HIM.
I DESIRE to do HIS will.
I can't help myself ...
I TALK about Christ, my first love ...
ALL the time.
I don't see life as a set of rules that have to be followed.
I walk through life actively seeking to KNOW His guidelines,
because I know they are His BEST for me and my family.
I NEVER think ...
"Can I still get to heaven if I do such and such?" Never!
My focus is NOT on how close I can get to hell,
without getting burned.
My focus is on how close I can get to heaven,
while still living life on this earth.
i have a question.
ReplyDeleteWhat will happen to my parents who are good people but can't uunderstand why others believe in God?
What will happen to a criminal who was never exposed to religion but instead to bad role modls all his life and is trapped in a circle of poverty and unemployment?
What will happen to a muslim or hindu who was born i the wrong place to know about God?
i meant to continue.
ReplyDeleteSome people simply can't believe or under stand certain things.
Some people were born in the wrong place or time
So is God who is supposedly all loving going to exclude those people but include those who were lucky enough to be born in the right place to the right people. People can't choose how or to who they were born.
Sorry i didn't mean this to sound aggressive or anything.
Amen...i found your site from Katie and Kids site...wow! Your family is awesome. This is exactally what my daughter wants to do. (they are paper pregnant as I type) They have 3 bio-daughters and one waiting for them in Ethiopia.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post...very pointed and written in love! Thank you...I would like to addyou to my fav lists but would like your permission first...plse click on my blog and give me a hey or nay.
Joy for your Wednesday.
Isn't it so very good to know that we are not loved on our performance!!
ReplyDeleteI love the husband comparison, it really puts it in a form you can wrap your head around.
I was thinking of Rosie's comment above and Romans 1:18-20 comes to mind. God states that who He is is evident within us (in the very nature of man by reason and moral law). Also through His Creation we see God's eternal power (as Creator and sustainer of all we see) and his divine nature (faithfulness, graciousness, kindness, ect).
Hope that doesn't sound to preachy, but it is where I ended up when I had the same questions, hope it helps.
Delight in Him
Donna
Those were such beautiful thoughts to ponder on! Thank you...Rosie, I think it's not the question of, Why doesn't God reveal Himself (His salvation) to all men (as we'd like) but rather, why would God reveal Himself to anyone at all, being the fallen sinful creatures we are. We cannot know the mind of God or His ways...The question is, "why wouldn't God let me feel the wrath of His anger for my sins committed against HIM," and why would He choose me to glorify Him and go out to spread the gospel?? Our minds are tainted with sin and therefore we don't know God's perfect plan, nor do I understand or even maybe like it...But I trust it...Hope that helps you a little Rosie :) Romans is a great book to help you and so is John...
ReplyDeleteAlso Rosie, About the comment about your parents, (My dad also is not a believer), You have to understand that our "good deeds" do not get us into heaven. We are to live by God's standards not our standards of what "good" is. Because we cannot EVER be good enough to get to heaven, God had a perfect plan. He sent Christ (the perfect lamb) to die on the cross to absorp all of God's anger and wrath that we should of received for our sins. If God did not spare His own son who is perfect and holy, when I stand before God on that day, He may ask, "why should I let you into my heaven if I did not spare my own perfect son, why should I spare your life?" and I will be able to confidently say, "It's your Son's blood you should see covering my sins, because I've trusted in His work on the cross to secure my salvation." I'm hoping this makes sense to you :)But don't take my word for it, read it in HIS PRECIOUS WORD...
ReplyDeleteLaurel,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment on my blog. "Lucky" you: your Walmart HAD Crazy Love...I had to go to 9 book stores and drive a lot of miles to find it in stock! Same wiht HEAVENLY MAN , which I finally ordered and can't wait to start reading today!
That passage touched me so profoundly I read it at church to begin our praise and worship several weeks ago! I am so CRAZY over this book and the way God has used Francis Chan to use His Word!
Rosie, the same scriptures already mentioned are the ones that came right to my mind too. They are the ones which God used to remind me that I DID know about HIM, that He was always around me all the time. I can't even come close to explaining God's grace, and I sure can't dispense it, but I know it covers me and I know that the God who in Nicole C. Mullins song "My Redeemer Lives" told the ocean YOU CAN ONLY COME THIS FAR, knows what His grace is all about. I want to be as close to that God of grace as I can possibly get. I was an outsider looking in trying to explain it to myself. I could not. YOu can not. You. I / WE have to go to the Heavenly Father to hear from the Heavenly Father.
Linda
at www.smithsoup.blogspot.com
Hi Laurel,
ReplyDeleteI have seen your name here and there but finally clicked on your blog and found it. Wow, I love your blog. And of course I came over your entry "crazy love". I was so glad you labeled it, easy to find. I just read the book not too long ago and am still in awe about it and wanna re-read things over and over and look at the scripture. One of the best books I have read in a very long time and so convicting. Anyways, can't wait to read more on your blog. And I love how your family is so spread out in ages. Mine is still in the growing process.