Crazy Love - Chapter Six

Ah to be in love. Whether your married, dating, or even single. You know what it means to be in love. Those feelings. Those crazy things we do because we're in love - either out of compulsion (walking in the rain) or because you'd do anything for the other person (watching The Man From Snowy River). All because you're love's got me looking so crazy right now...

If those feelings and actions are so natural when you're in love...why aren't they natural when we're in love with God...

There's a quote from John Piper:

"The critical question for our generation—and for every generation— is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?"

And that bring me to a question my pastor once asked, kind of the inverse of this question. If you lost everyone, absolutely everyone you knew or loved, if they all just disappeared and it was just you and Jesus - would you be content? I've asked this question before and got a myriad of answers. But I was surprised at how many people have said - no. God made us social beings, He gave us people to love and be with it, so of course we wouldn't be happy if He took that away.

I think people hear that questions and say "that's crazy! Of course you wouldn't be happy!" But think about it! This whole thing is called crazy love. We've been talking about how crazy it is that God actually loves us and how that love demands a love from us that's just as crazy! So yes it is crazy to think that you would be happy if it was just you and God. That's the point! He IS that amazing! (ask Job)

If we truly loved God why aren't we running around saying:

"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you." - Psalm 63:1-5

I know we all sit here and say yeah that would be awesome if I did that, and then we see someone post that on Facebook or tweet a verse like that and we think - give it a rest guy we get it. You love Jesus. So do I but I don't have to shout it every 5 seconds on the internet.

YES WE DO! If we REALLY loved God like that we would be shouting this every time every where. And then we feel guilty...

"But the solution isn't to try harder, fail, and then make bigger promises, only to fail again. It does no good to muster up more love for God to will yourself to love Him more. When loving Him becomes obligation, one of many things we have to do, we end up focusing even more on ourselves. No wonder so few people want to hear from us about what we ourselves feel is a boring, guilt-ridden chore." (ouch)

Just do it! And this is the part where anything I say pales in comparison to how Francis puts it so I'm just going to paste a bunch of quotes. "But Craig if you're going to do that why don't I just read the book myself?" Exactly! Go do it! Now!

"When you are running toward Christ, you are freed up to serve, love, and give thanks without guilt, worry, or fear. As long as you are running you are safe."

"God wants to change us; He died so that we could change. The answer lies in letting Him change you. The fact is, I need God to help me love God. And if I need His help to love Him, a perfect being, I definitely need His help to love other, fault-filled humans. Something mysterious, even supernatural must happen in order for genuine love for God to grow in our hearts. The Holy Spirit needs to move in our lives. It is a remarkable cycle: Our prayers for more love result in love, which naturally causes us to pray more, which results in more love….”

"God tells the priests that if they don’t want to give Him excellence, others will. [Malachi 1:11] God says His name will be great among the nations. Right now a hundred million angels are praising God’s name; He certainly doesn’t need to beg or plead with us. We should be the ones begging to worship in His presence."