I’m loving myself some “Crazy Love” right now.
“God has allowed hard things in your life so you can show the world that your God is great and that knowing Him brings peace and joy, even when life is hard.”
It is easy to become disillusioned with the circumstances of our lives compared to others’. But in the presence of God, He gives us a deeper peace and joy that transcends it all.
To be brutally honest, it doesn’t really matter what place you find yourself in right now. Your part is to bring Him glory.
THE POINT OF YOUR LIFE IS TO POINT TO HIM.
Whatever you are doing God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is His. It is His movie, His world, His gift.
“Stop and Think”
Does my life point to God? All of it, parts of it, or none of it.
What/how can I change so more of my life points to God?
Abba, I know all of my life does not point to you. Please, please help me to do where my focus is You day in and day out so my life can point to you.
[pg. 44-45]
Showing posts with label Crazy Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crazy Love. Show all posts
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Get Over Yourself
Worry—implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives.
Stress—says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit or impatience, our lack of grace towards others, or our tight grip of control.
Chan says
How many times does it take me to realize that I am not in control of my life and life is ALL about God and not about me at all.
Chan continues to explain that most of us think we are the main character in the movie called life, where really God is the main character. If you would calculator how important/long our lives are in the overall scheme of things, it would be about two-fifths of a second.
Try to take into consideration what you have done compared to God.
-God create the world.
-God floods the earth to rid it of the mess people made of it.
-God singles out the ninety-nine-year-old man named Abram and makes him the father of a nation.
-God is the one who picks Joseph and Moses and directs them and works miracles through them.
-God sends judges and prophets to His nation because the people can’t seem to give Him the one thing He asks of them (obedience).
-God sends his Son to be born among the people whom God still somehow loves.
Those are just a few snippets of the magnificent things God has done. So you still think that the movie is about you?
Our scenes in the movie, our brief lives, fall somewhere between the time Jesus ascends into heave (Acts) and when we will all worship God on His throne in heaven (Revelation).
Stop trying to make everything about myself and start making more and more of my life about God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” {Chan says that is what each of our two-fifths of a second is about.}
Frankly, I need to get over myself (it might sound harsh but that’s seriously what it means).
“Stop and Think”
Am I/my life giving God all of the glory?
What is that I am holding on to that makes me worry or stressed?
God, I know I am a selfish, jealous, and bitter person. Yes, these are harsh things but I realize that they do not show your glory the way it needs to be shown. Help me to get rid of those things and become filled with more of you daily. What ever I do please help me to do it all for the glory of You.
[pg. 42-44]
Stress—says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit or impatience, our lack of grace towards others, or our tight grip of control.
Chan says
“Basically, these two behaviors communicate that it’s okay to sin and not trust God because of the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we’ve been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won’t be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God’s strength, our problems are small, indeed.”
How many times does it take me to realize that I am not in control of my life and life is ALL about God and not about me at all.
Chan continues to explain that most of us think we are the main character in the movie called life, where really God is the main character. If you would calculator how important/long our lives are in the overall scheme of things, it would be about two-fifths of a second.
Try to take into consideration what you have done compared to God.
-God create the world.
-God floods the earth to rid it of the mess people made of it.
-God singles out the ninety-nine-year-old man named Abram and makes him the father of a nation.
-God is the one who picks Joseph and Moses and directs them and works miracles through them.
-God sends judges and prophets to His nation because the people can’t seem to give Him the one thing He asks of them (obedience).
-God sends his Son to be born among the people whom God still somehow loves.
Those are just a few snippets of the magnificent things God has done. So you still think that the movie is about you?
Our scenes in the movie, our brief lives, fall somewhere between the time Jesus ascends into heave (Acts) and when we will all worship God on His throne in heaven (Revelation).
Stop trying to make everything about myself and start making more and more of my life about God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” {Chan says that is what each of our two-fifths of a second is about.}
Frankly, I need to get over myself (it might sound harsh but that’s seriously what it means).
“Stop and Think”
Am I/my life giving God all of the glory?
What is that I am holding on to that makes me worry or stressed?
God, I know I am a selfish, jealous, and bitter person. Yes, these are harsh things but I realize that they do not show your glory the way it needs to be shown. Help me to get rid of those things and become filled with more of you daily. What ever I do please help me to do it all for the glory of You.
[pg. 42-44]
Justified Stress?
I am rereading the book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan which I am getting something new out of it both times I read it. There have been many words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, and sections that have made me “stop and think”. If you don’t know much about Francis Chan I suggest that you look him up and read some because he is totally sold out for God.
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” James 4:14
Chan mentions that he thinks there are two kinds of people:
1. Natural worrier and 2. Naturally joyful people
Which type of person do you think you are? I know I would fall under a natural worrier. For some reason, I seem to worry about everything even if it is minor then try to fix it myself…big mistake!!!
Now consider the scripture in Philippians 4 where Paul wrote “rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” (v.4) As Chan mentions, it does not end with “…unless you’re doing something extremely important.” However, it continues with “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, BUT in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. AND the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (v. 5-7)
“Stop and Think”
A closing thought…
“When I am consumed by MY problems—stressed out about my life, my family, and my job—I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice. In other words, I have a “right” to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities.”
[pg. 40-41]
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” James 4:14
Chan mentions that he thinks there are two kinds of people:
1. Natural worrier and 2. Naturally joyful people
Which type of person do you think you are? I know I would fall under a natural worrier. For some reason, I seem to worry about everything even if it is minor then try to fix it myself…big mistake!!!
Now consider the scripture in Philippians 4 where Paul wrote “rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” (v.4) As Chan mentions, it does not end with “…unless you’re doing something extremely important.” However, it continues with “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, BUT in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. AND the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (v. 5-7)
“Stop and Think”
A closing thought…
“When I am consumed by MY problems—stressed out about my life, my family, and my job—I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice. In other words, I have a “right” to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities.”
[pg. 40-41]
Saturday, April 16, 2011
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