The Crux of the Matter
Here are the notes from chapter 8 of Crazy Love:
By now your probably wondering: What in the world does this mean for me?
We (usually) respond with words like "Amen", "convicting sermon", "great book", and then are paralyzed as we try to decipher what God wants of our lives.
Philipians 2:12
Should you put your house on the market today and downsize? Maybe. Should you quit your job? Maybe. Or perhaps God wants you to work harder at your job and be His witness there. Does He want you to move to another city or another country? Maybe. Perhaps He wants you to stay put and open your eyes to the needs of your neighbors. Honestly it's hard enough for me to discern how God wants me to live my own life. My suggestion as you think, make decisions and discern how God would have you live life is to ask yourself: "Is this the most loving way to do life? Am I loving my neighbor and my God, by living where I live, by driving what I drive, by talking how I talk?"
I urge you to consider and actually live as though each person you come into contact with is Christ.
... There is another path, an alternative to the individualism, selfishness, and materialism of the American Dream, even the so called "Christian version"... God works in a vast number of ways, and that He has more in store for you then you can really imagine right now.
Have you ever said: "I was made for this moment"? Do you believe you were crafted for specific good works, things that God knew even before you even existed? Or do you compare you life to others and lament what you've been given?
I wrote this book because much of our talk doesn't match our lives. We say things like: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", and "Trust in the Lord with all your heart". Then we live and plan like we don't believe God even exists. We try to set up our lives so everything will be fine, even if God doesn't come through. But true faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His promises.
Most of us use: "I'm waiting for God to reveal his calling on my life" as a means of avoiding action. Did you hear God calling you to sit in front of the television yesterday? Or to go on your last vacation? Or to exercise this morning? Probably not, but you still did it.
Jesus said: "If you love me you will obay what I command". - John 14:15 Jesus did not say: "If you love me you will obey me when you feel called or good about doing so". If we love than we obey, period.
And so we're at the end of this book... what will people say about your life in heaven? Will people speak of God's work and glory through you? And even more important, how will you answer the King when He says: "What did you do with what I gave you"?
For more on the book visit: www.crazylovebook.com
*Quotes from Crazy Love by Francis Chan
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