Good news, guys! The reading challenge was a success! (If you’re confused, go here to see what I’m talking about).
Cara & I both managed to read through Crazy Love by Francis Chan this past week, and we’ve heard from several of you who were also planning on reading (or listening) along.
It was definitely a convicting read. Chan’s overall purpose of the book is to impress on his readers the depth and consistency of God’s love for us and outline the impact that it should have on our lives.
To me, one of the most convicting questions that Chan asks is this: How would your life look different if you suddenly stopped believing in God?
I can honestly say that I don’t think it would look very different. There would be fewer prayers and less church and scripture, but overall my actions and words would be the same. Currently, it’s my morals and selfish desires that drive my life, not my desire to grow and nurture a deeply intimate relationship with my Creator and bring Him the glory He deserves with my every action and breath.
Chan’s challenge has caused me to stop and think about my life. In the last chapter, he quotes Annie Dillard: “How we live our days is…how we live our lives.” This is such an important reminder for me. I feel like I’m always looking forward to the next step in life, or even just to the events of the next week. I need to live in the moment, praying and seeking God’s presence daily and hourly, asking Him to show me ways to glorify Him in my everyday tasks.
I can’t just assume that once I’m a stay-at-home mom or a pastor’s wife or an overseas missionary I’ll have time to really dig into the Word & be faithful. I need to start now, building up my relationship with the Lord on a daily basis so that my actions now can glorify Him now, instead of just hoping that it will happen someday.
Chan’s book isn’t about needing to do more (I hope I’m not making it sound like that), it’s about developing a real relationship with God, where you can be vulnerable and ask Him to work in your life – to give you more of a desire for Him – and the crazy results that come from it. He even dedicates a chapter to everyday people who live faithfully for God’s glory, spreading His love in unlikely places, and the amazing impact that their lives have made for the gospel.
Chan pours out a lot of other wisdom as well, like the dangers of being lukewarm, the importance of living every minute in light of eternity, and characteristics of those who are crazy in love with God.
I encourage you to read this book and be challenged as I have. If you’ve read it (either in the past or in response to my challenge) let me know your thoughts in the comments! What impacted you the most? How did God use Crazy Love to encourage or convict you?
Since the reading challenge was a success, I’m issuing a new one. This next week, I’m challenging you (and me) to read Passion & Purity by Elisabeth Elliot. I’ll post my review next Wednesday.
