After spending the last week down and out, sicker than a dog, I can finally report that my wellness percentage is at about a 93%. I dont know WHAT this strain of whatever is but its NOT good. I ended up with a diagnosis of an Upper Respiratory Infection, but believe me, it affected much more than just the upper portion of my body. I had to endure aching, fevers, consistent dull nausia, and more. Its definitely comparable to housing internal terrorists. YIKES.
I say all of this as an explanation of why I havent updated this in awhile... I just couldnt get my body to care! I'll be honest! About all I could do was sleep and watch tv... not much brain matter required there right? I couldnt even read because of all of the pressure behind my eyes due to the congestion, it hurt to even think. Now, before I risk sounding like a complete whiner, I'll stop. I know, I know, you're thinking 'Ok, Ash, we get it... it was bad".
SO, onto better things. I have officially finished Crazy Love. I know, I was supposed to do this thing one chapter at a time but after the withdrawal of not reading for over a week, I started and couldnt stop! Being that as the case, this post will serve as a brief overview of my thoughts of the last 3 chapters.
Chapter 8: Profile of the Obessessed
- " The Holy Spirit stirs in us a joy and peace when we are fixated on Jesus, living by faith, and focused on the life to come."
How obsessed are you with Jesus? Sounds odd right? But seriously, does He inundate your thinking processes to the point that everything you do is in honor of Him and reflection of His heart? In this chapter, Mr. Chan points out several ways in which Christians who are obsessed with Christ live immeasurably different lives than those who arent. In our society the word obsessed is look down upon because it has the conotation of "crazy"...but think about it, aren't we supposed to be visibly different from our secular counterparts? Isnt loving an invisible being and living by His statutes viewed as a bit crazy in light of our "I gotta see it to believe it" culture? So by all accounts, we Christians are crazy anyway, so why not go all out?!
Here are some specific quotes that really threw me for a loop... I hope they do the same for you:
- " People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly, without censure. Obsessed people love those who hate them and who can never love them back."
- " People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another. Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and the poor so often because it was really important to Him."
- "People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers. Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they so, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world."
- "Our goal as people who follow Christ should be no less than becoming people who are madly in love wth God."
So, what's wrong with being alittle obsessed?
Chapter 9: Who really lives that way?
This chapter gives brief looks into the lives of our fellow Christians who, over time, have lived out an obsessive pursuit of the Savior. People such as Rich Mullins and Marva Dawn have refused to indulge their own needs in order to serve and love the less fortunate. They have lived life eternally minded. I love reading stories of such people not only for the inspiration but for the confirmation that God requires us to live this way but will ultimately reward us for living this way. It isnt about the personal reward, but the rewards that when we sow into the lives of others, God will bring that seed to full fruit in His kingdom.
What a difference we could make for the Kingdom if we all really lived this way!
Chapter 10: The Crux of the Matter
Is this.... 1 John 4:19 - "We love because He first loved us." It's time that we get out of our perfect little "Christian bubbles" and begin to love the unloveable, reach the unreachable, and determine that ALL are worth saving...not just the pretty or easily accessible. We have to be as crazy about Him as He is about us. We have to live in obedience to His will, not waiting for it to be revealed, but as its revealed. He has given us the basic statutes for a life lived in light of eternity, so what are we waiting for?
- "I urge to to consider and actually live as though each person you come into contact with is Christ."
- "But true faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His promises."
- "We never grow closer to God when we just live life; it takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness."
So get out there and love like crazy!
