“Our goal as people who follow Christ should be no less than becoming people who are madly in love with God.”
“God wants us to trust Him with abandon. He wants to show us how He works and cares for us. He wants to be our refuge.” – Crazy Love by Francis Chan
Yes, this book came out in 2008 (10 years ago?!) and I just read it for the 1st time last month… but: Whew. It’s good. Francis Chan writes about the love of God and the way our lives would look if we truly lived out the words of Jesus and lived as He intended us to. God did not send His Son so we could simply sit in pews and listen to “good sermons” week after week; lives wasted in useless routine. Those have a place of importance but they do not bring salvation or a relationship with Jesus. Following Jesus & looking like Him is not burdensome but is natural and a mere overflow—not a checkbox on a list—when we are consumed and motivated His ever faithful, gracious, never-failing love. I remember when I stopped looking at church, Jesus, and the Bible as a set of rules and it completely changed my whole perspective. I realized that God created joy and has called us to a life of abundant purpose in Him: not in material, temporary wealth. He doesn’t keep us from enjoyment, He gives us boundaries so we can enjoy Himself & His blessings to the fullest. 1 John 5:3-4 says: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
Self-sacrifice, faith, love and joy will define our daily lives when we have a clear view of Christ & His love. Thru reading this book, these are a few questions I was challenged to ask myself:
- In what areas in my life am I actively walking by faith?
- What am I doing to reach out to those who I typically wouldn’t?
- Am I seeking my own safety and comfort more than God’s design and will for my life?
- How am I practically, daily laying my life down for others?
- What risks am I taking, trusting that God will guide and provide?
- What places in my heart and mind have grown apathetic and complacent?
These are questions I know I’ll be asking for the rest of my life and I’m grateful for books like these that reveal places in my heart where I’ve been holding onto pride, selfishness and unbelief. Definitely a book I see myself picking up again in the future. Here are my favorite quotes:
“There are reason that we are where we are and who we are—they aren’t random. It is the same with joy in our lives. We tend to think of joy as something that ebbs sand flows depending on the day or season of life we’re in. But joy is something that doesn’t come and go; it is something we must choose and work for. It needs cultivation. When life gets painful or something doesn’t go as we hoped, it’s normal for a bit of our joy to slip away. But the Bible teaches that true joy is formed in the midst of the difficult seasons of life. — A person who is obsessed with Jesus is more concerned with their character than their comfort. Those who are overwhelmed by God’s love know that true joy does not depend on environment or circumstances. It is a gift that must be CHOSEN and CULTIVATED; a gift that ultimately comes from God.”
“The American church loves to make celebrities of their saints. To make the stories known of humble people who serve Christ faithfully. There can be a tragic consequence to this: too many people fall for the praise and start to believe that they really are something special. It’s pride. Plain & simple, that keeps me from giving God all the glory and keeping some of it for myself.”
“People who are obsessed with God are raw & honest before Him. They do not attempt to mask the ugliness of their sin or failure…they know God is their refuge, a safe place, where they can be at peace.”
“Awhile back I had a free evening and had the idea to go to the store and buy some items for those in need. It was a good idea and something I wanted my life to be characterized by, but it was embarrassing because I realized that everyone I knew had enough. I didn’t know many people who were true in need & I needed to change that. I needed to go and intentionally meet those who don’t live like me, think like I do, & who could never repay me. Most people think about life on earth way too much—all our time, energy, and money is channeled on that which is temporary. When Christians sacrifice & give wildly to the poor, that is truly a light that glimmers. When people gladly sacrifice their time or comfort or home it is obvious that they trust in the promises of God. People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way—Jesus talked about money & the poor so often because it is really important to Him.”
“‘What are you doing right now that requires faith?’—That question affected me deeply because at that time I could think of nothing in my life that required faith. I probably wouldn’t be living very differently if I didn’t believe in God. My life was neither ordered nor affected by my faith like I had assumed it was. Furthermore: when I looked around, I realized that I was surrounded by people who lived the same way I did. Life is comfortable when you separate yourself from people who are different from you. That epitomizes what my life was like: characterized by comfort. But God doesn’t call us to comfort. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come thru.”
“It ought to be the business of everyday to prepare for our final day.”
“The concept of downsizing so that others might upgrade is Biblical, beautiful…and nearly unheard of today. Dare to imagine what it would mean for you to take the words of Jesus seriously. Dare to imagine your own children in poverty…dare to believe that those really are your brothers and sisters.”
“We are loaded down with too many good things, more than we could ever need, while others are desperate for water & their next meal. The good things we hoard are more than just money: we hoard our time, resources, gifts, families, and friends. When we begin the practice of regular giving we see how ludicrous it is to hold onto the abundance God has given us and merely repeat the words ‘thank you.’”
“There is more to faith than friendliness, politeness, or even kindness. I think that we sometimes assume that because we are nice people, people will know that we are Christians and want to know more about Jesus. [the great commission, our call and purpose is not simply to be nice] True faith is loving a person after they have hurt you: that love and faith is incomprehensible to the world. Who has hurt you? Who do you avoid? Who avoids you? Am I willing to do good to those people? To reach out to them?”
