I'm reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan, an associate pastor at Simi Valley Church. And it's ROCKING me!
It's a back-to-the-basics kind of book. A reevaluation of Christianity today. Each chapter goes through the fundamentals of our faith.
One particular chapter challenges our (my) love for Jesus. In it Francis poses a question: If there was a way you could have heaven [and eternity] and not Christ, would you be satisfied? Meaning, if God were to grant you all the glories and perks of heaven, would that be enough?
My mind began to race as I tried to grapple this seemingly simple question. My brain kept reminding me that I can't have heaven without Christ, but... What if? What if you didn't need Christ? Would it matter?
Yes, though often times I live as if it doesn't. If I am brutally honest, I don't love Jesus as much as He deserves. Often times I think I'm in like with Him...
But, if I did love Him fully, completely, I would turn heaven and all its promises down for Him. To not have Him, would be foolishness and folly. It would be painful and I heartbroken without Him. Even in heaven.
And, when I stop and think about it, I'm dumbfounded to realize that is exactly how Christ loves us. He gave up heaven and all its riches. When given the choice to have it all, without us, He turned to His Father and told Him He'd rather come into this mortal, sinful plane to die and, in dying, save a mortal and sinful people, so that His joy would be complete. So that we'd be with Him, at His side, enjoying the breathlessness of Heaven and the Almighty's presence with Him.
That's some kind of CRAZY love if you ask me...
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