Crazy Love - Chapter 7

This chapter was a hard chapter to read. Not because it used big words or long run-on sentences that confused me, but rather because I didn't like what I was reading. Don't get me wrong, it was a great chapter and everything that Chan said was really good and really truthful...but I didn't like what I read because it really convicted me. It made me realize that I'm not living up to the potential that Jesus has called everyone to. It made me realize that my priorities are screwed up and I need to change some things.

Yesterday at Calvary Christian Church, Scott preached on sacrificial giving. I left feeling like I needed to take a serious look at my life and re-evaluate how I am doing in that area. Today, the chapter I read was about sacrificial giving. I think maybe God is trying to tell me something...

For the longest time I have struggled with giving/tithing because I always viewed my money as just that, my money. I always had this selfish thought in my head that I needed the money more than the church...I was missing a huge point. So while I was sitting in church yesterday and Scott kept repeating over and over that everything you possess is GOD'S (your car, your kids, your money, etc.) it kinda hit me hard. Something needs to change, and that something is me.

It all boils down to faith and trust. I need to have faith that even though I think that I don't have any extra money to give...God will provide and everything will work out. I need to trust that God will bless me if I give willingly and sacrificially. I need to learn to better give out of love...because as Chan said love is where giving starts. (that is my paraphrase) "For God so LOVED the world that He GAVE..." (John 3:16)

Over the next few days I am going to be taking a long look at how I can better give...sacrificially...willingly...and out of love. Pray for me.

Also, if this is something that you struggle with as well, I want to encourage you to listen to Scott's sermon from Calvary Christian Church and also check out chapter 7 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan...it challenged me, maybe it can do the same for you.

Crazy Love - Chapter 6

Sometimes I think that I'm really bad at loving. When I look at people that I know...it always seems like they love people so much more than I do. I find myself looking at people and judging them or finding ways to justify not loving them...like someone that might annoy me or people that drive too slow on the highway. It makes me think of my dad, knowing that there have to be some people that annoy him (myself included) and people that he might not always enjoy being around...he always makes it a point to love them. I wish that I could do that more often.

In chapter 6, there is a section that talks about breaking free from preconceived notions of love and loving like Christ intended. Chan quoted a few verses from Galatians 5 that really made me think...its talks about how we are called to be free and not to use our freedom to indulge in our sinful nature...but rather to love. I had never really thought about that before. Through Christ we have been set free, but most of the time we just go right back to the sin that we were indulging in before we came to God, like a dog returns to its vomit. Jesus calls us to be more than that. We are set free so that we can love! God wants to change us. Jesus died to change us. Not so that we keep sinning.

We need to let God change us. I need to let God change me. My prayer today is that I would be able to love more like Christ...that I would be able to see Christ in others and love them. Will you make that your prayer today?

Crazy Love - Chapter 5

I'm finally to the point at college where I feel like I'm in a routine. So I'm going to try this blogging thing again...I know it seems like I say this in every post...but I have a good feeling about this time. I decided that I'm going to take it easy and not try to blog every day, but just do it when I feel like it...which, in spite of my few posts lately, is actually more often than you might think.

I recently took a break from my normal reading (mostly Christian non-fiction) and decided to do something a little different to give my mind a quick change of pace. I just finished The Circle Trilogy by Ted Decker and really enjoyed them. Somewhere down the road I will definitely be reading more of Decker's books...but for now it's back to Crazy Love.

After reading this chapter I have been kinda convicted. This idea that I have been giving God my leftovers didn't sit well with me. I have never really thought about this, but Chan raises a good point when he says that it is impossible for a Christian to be lukewarm. The reality is that Christ wants all or nothing from us. If we aren't willing to give Him everything, then he would rather have nothing than to be fighting for our time/thoughts/love/actions/etc.

I know that no one is perfect and that we are going to screw up and not give Christ ALL of us from time to time and that God's grace covers that act...but I don't think that's exactly what he meant here. There is a huge difference between trying to give your best to God and failing...and just giving God your leftovers. This is where I feel Christians need to check themselves. Are you really and truthfully giving God your "first fruits", or are you simply giving Him what is left after you take care of your needs? When I say this, I'm not necessarily talking about money, though that is part of it, I'm talking about your time and your relationships and your thoughts and your family and your whole life.

I felt convicted by this chapter because I feel like I am not doing a good job with this right now and I need to fix something. I want to challenge you to think about this concept in your life. How are you doing? Are you giving God your everything...or does He end up just getting your leftovers?