When I was in 7th grade, one my closest friends was in a car accident and passed away. I remember thinking that he was a good person with a great heart, that he had already made such an impact with his short life, and that I couldn't imagine why in the world this was happening to somebody like Deven and his family. Back to Crazy Love.. There is a story in chapter 2 about a girl named Brooke who was killed in a car accident when she was 14. Her story is so similar to Deven's! She loved Jesus and always wanted to share him! When I hear stories like Brooke's and remember Deven's, I can't help but think that Jesus doesn't make mistakes. He perfectly orchestrated their lives before they were born, before their parents were born, even before the earth was made! Before my parents met, Jesus knew exactly what he would call me to be and I can't keep denying that.
Until the point that I got serious about taking up my cross and following Him DAILY, I always ignored his convictions that interrupted what I wanted. It is easy to walk around every day and assume that things will follow the pattern that the world has set up, but Jesus has called us all to so much more than that. That is where it gets tough.. Giving Him every desire. Giving Him every want. Giving Him every need. Giving Him all my time. Giving Him EVERYTHING. And still trusting that I'll be okay if I don't get everything I always expected. So we give Him everything, then what?
Psalms 139:23 says, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns." I want Jesus to be able to look through and through me, and not see even the smallest imperfection. That means everything has to reflect Him. Let me break it down.. Everything I say, everything I do, everything I eat, everything I think, everything I see, everything I hear, EVERYTHING has to be of Him. I can't get over the fact that I've been failing for so long. It is easy to pick apart what God's telling me and have it pinned down to something that works for me and doesn't actually do anything at all to glorify Him. But it is so much bigger to know that, regardless of how many times I fail, God has planned my entire life, I just have to decide to get back up and keep going.
The book goes on to talk about lukewarm Christians, and let me warn you, its even more convicting than the last chapters. My whole life has been about my comfort and until I get out of that mindset, I CANNOT be an effective Christian. Jesus says that a lukewarm Christian has to be VOMITED out of his mouth in Revelations 3. In Luke 14, He says if we are not the salt of the earth, we are not even good for manure. Can you even imagine how many times I've been a lukewarm Christian in His eyes and He has been, at best, disgusted by me? If you haven't heard Fence Riders by Jimmy Needham, listen now!! Jesus is so willing to forgive us and to cover us in his grace anytime we fail, but He definitely calls us to stop riding the fences of our relationship with Him. Please remember how perfect and just His grace is! Love Love Love.
September 8, 2010
Everything to Him..
When I was in 7th grade, one my closest friends was in a car accident and passed away. I remember thinking that he was a good person with a great heart, that he had already made such an impact with his short life, and that I couldn't imagine why in the world this was happening to somebody like Deven and his family. Back to Crazy Love.. There is a story in chapter 2 about a girl named Brooke who was killed in a car accident when she was 14. Her story is so similar to Deven's! She loved Jesus and always wanted to share him! When I hear stories like Brooke's and remember Deven's, I can't help but think that Jesus doesn't make mistakes. He perfectly orchestrated their lives before they were born, before their parents were born, even before the earth was made! Before my parents met, Jesus knew exactly what he would call me to be and I can't keep denying that.
Until the point that I got serious about taking up my cross and following Him DAILY, I always ignored his convictions that interrupted what I wanted. It is easy to walk around every day and assume that things will follow the pattern that the world has set up, but Jesus has called us all to so much more than that. That is where it gets tough.. Giving Him every desire. Giving Him every want. Giving Him every need. Giving Him all my time. Giving Him EVERYTHING. And still trusting that I'll be okay if I don't get everything I always expected. So we give Him everything, then what?
Psalms 139:23 says, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns." I want Jesus to be able to look through and through me, and not see even the smallest imperfection. That means everything has to reflect Him. Let me break it down.. Everything I say, everything I do, everything I eat, everything I think, everything I see, everything I hear, EVERYTHING has to be of Him. I can't get over the fact that I've been failing for so long. It is easy to pick apart what God's telling me and have it pinned down to something that works for me and doesn't actually do anything at all to glorify Him. But it is so much bigger to know that, regardless of how many times I fail, God has planned my entire life, I just have to decide to get back up and keep going.
The book goes on to talk about lukewarm Christians, and let me warn you, its even more convicting than the last chapters. My whole life has been about my comfort and until I get out of that mindset, I CANNOT be an effective Christian. Jesus says that a lukewarm Christian has to be VOMITED out of his mouth in Revelations 3. In Luke 14, He says if we are not the salt of the earth, we are not even good for manure. Can you even imagine how many times I've been a lukewarm Christian in His eyes and He has been, at best, disgusted by me? If you haven't heard Fence Riders by Jimmy Needham, listen now!! Jesus is so willing to forgive us and to cover us in his grace anytime we fail, but He definitely calls us to stop riding the fences of our relationship with Him. Please remember how perfect and just His grace is! Love Love Love.
Until the point that I got serious about taking up my cross and following Him DAILY, I always ignored his convictions that interrupted what I wanted. It is easy to walk around every day and assume that things will follow the pattern that the world has set up, but Jesus has called us all to so much more than that. That is where it gets tough.. Giving Him every desire. Giving Him every want. Giving Him every need. Giving Him all my time. Giving Him EVERYTHING. And still trusting that I'll be okay if I don't get everything I always expected. So we give Him everything, then what?
Psalms 139:23 says, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns." I want Jesus to be able to look through and through me, and not see even the smallest imperfection. That means everything has to reflect Him. Let me break it down.. Everything I say, everything I do, everything I eat, everything I think, everything I see, everything I hear, EVERYTHING has to be of Him. I can't get over the fact that I've been failing for so long. It is easy to pick apart what God's telling me and have it pinned down to something that works for me and doesn't actually do anything at all to glorify Him. But it is so much bigger to know that, regardless of how many times I fail, God has planned my entire life, I just have to decide to get back up and keep going.
The book goes on to talk about lukewarm Christians, and let me warn you, its even more convicting than the last chapters. My whole life has been about my comfort and until I get out of that mindset, I CANNOT be an effective Christian. Jesus says that a lukewarm Christian has to be VOMITED out of his mouth in Revelations 3. In Luke 14, He says if we are not the salt of the earth, we are not even good for manure. Can you even imagine how many times I've been a lukewarm Christian in His eyes and He has been, at best, disgusted by me? If you haven't heard Fence Riders by Jimmy Needham, listen now!! Jesus is so willing to forgive us and to cover us in his grace anytime we fail, but He definitely calls us to stop riding the fences of our relationship with Him. Please remember how perfect and just His grace is! Love Love Love.
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