Crazy Love Blog Series- Chapter 8

Chapter  8
Profile of the Obsessed


Here are the notes from chapter 8 of Crazy Love: 

Obsessed: to have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic.


There has to be more to our faith than friendliness, politeness, and even kindness. 


Luke 6:32-36
Luke 14:12-14


Do you give to those who cannot repay you, to those who would do  you harm if they could, to those who have already done you harm, this is Christ's love. He gave us something for which we can never repay Him, and then He asks us to keep giving like He gives. 


People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly without censure. Obsessed people love those who hate them, and who can never love them back. 


Risk-takers


Haven't we all prayed the following prayer? "Lord we pray for safety as we travel. We ask that no one gets hurt on this trip. Please keep everyone safe until we return, and bring us back safely. In Jesus name we pray, Amen." 


We are consumed by safety. Obsessed with it actually. Now I'm not saying it's wrong to pray for God's protection, but I am questioning how we've made safety our highest priority. We've elevated safety to the neglect of whatever God's best is. Whatever would bring God the most glory, or whatever would accomplish His purpose in our lives and in the world. 


Would you be willing to pray this prayer? "God, bring me closer to you during this trip, whatever it takes."


People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress. 


Friends of All


People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another. Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and the poor so often, because it was really important to Him. 

Crazy Ones


When people gladly sacrifice their time, their comfort, their home it is obvious that they trust in the promises of God. Why is it that the story of someone who's actually done what Jesus commands resinates deeply with us, but then we assume we could never do anything so radical or intense? Or why do we call it radical, when to Jesus it is simply the way it is, the way it should be?


Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling to status-quo. A person who's obsessed with Jesus will do things that don't always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth. 


Givers


Tears come to my eyes when I think about some of God's people I've had the privilege to meet in the past few years. These are people with families, with dreams, people who are made in God's image as much as you and I are. And these people are suffering. Many of them are sick, some even dying, as they live out their lives in dwellings that we would not consider good enough for our household pets. I'm not exaggerating. 

Much of their daily hardship and suffering could be relieved with access to food, clean water, clothing, adequate shelter, or basic medical attention. 

Photo by: Rosie

I believe that God wants His people, His church, to meet these needs. The scriptures are filled with commands and references about caring for the poor, for those who cannot help themselves. 


The crazy part about God's heart is that he doesn't just ask us to give, He desires that we love those in need as much as we love ourselves! That is the core of the second greatest command "to love your neighbor as yourself" - Matthew 22:39. He is asking you to love as you would want to be loved if it were your child who was blind from drinking contaminated water...

... to love the way you would want to be loved. If you were the homeless woman sitting outside the cafe...

... to love as though it were your family living in the shacks slapped together from cardboard and scrap metal.

Non church-goers seem to see Christians as takers rather than givers. When Christians sacrifice and give wildly to the poor that is truly a light that glimmers. The bible teaches that the Church is to be that light, that sign of hope in an increasingly dark and hopeless world. 


Matthew 5:16


People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers.
Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they do, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world. 

While these descriptions combined don't necessarily answer the question of what it looks like to be holy surrendered to God, they represent important pieces of the puzzle. Hopefully your beginning to imagine and pray about what this looks like in your own life. 

For more on the book visit: www.crazylovebook.com

*Quotes from Crazy Love by Francis Chan

*Photos by me, unless stated otherwise.