Crazy Love by Francis Chan
THE DANGER...
is that you will lead a respectable, decent, non-scandalous, busy tired, human-powered life. That is unspeakably sad. We all want to pursue the kingdom of God. We just dont have the time.
oOne of the main reasons we are tempted to get more invested in our work than in our relationships is that in our vocations its easier to keep score.
oServing in self-giving love is the most God-like thing a human being can do.
oSpend as much time caring for the inner you as you spend on the outer you. However much time you spend exercising, cleaning and dressing the outer you this week, spend at least that much time on the inner you.
oSurrender to God is not passivity or abdication. It is saying yes to God and life each day.
oEveryone should carry two pieces of paper with him and look at them every day:oYou are as dust and ashes.
oFor you the universe was created.
oHere the daily decisions that create your life: what will you feed your mind?; what thoughts will you dwell on?; whom will you have conversations with?; where will you direct your desires?; how will you take care of your body?; when will you choose to be interrupted, and when will you choose to stay on task?; what will you eat?; how will you spend your time?oWhen we give casually, we receive casual joy. When we give effortfully, thoughtfully, creatively, we get immense joy.
oMy eye, hand, and foot are not the problem. The problem is my heart. Integrity is much bigger than simply avoiding breaking the rules. It is becoming the kind of person who does the right thing. Integrity does not mean I get really good at not doing the things I really want to do. It is not using lots of willpower to override my desires. It means I become the kind of person who actually wants to do what is right.
oI was part of a survey that asked thousands of people what kept them from knowing and loving God better. The number one answer was Im too busy. Its ironic that the early followers of Jesus could not be stopped by persecution, poverty, prison, or martyrdom. But were stunted by something as trivial as too much to do.
oThe danger is that you will lead a respectable, decent, non-scandalous, busy tired, human-powered life. That is unspeakably sad. We all want to pursue the kingdom of God. We just dont have the time.
oGod never calls us to do something and fails to give us enough time to do it.
RETURN TO MAIN
•My shadow mission is what I will do with my life if I drift on autopilot. It consists of the activities toward which I will gravitate if I allow my natural temptations and selfishness to take over. Everybody has a shadow mission.
oMaterialism is for most of us Gods main rival.
oWe are called to contentment. Contentment does not come when we acquire enough. It is a product of the way we think.
oWise people build their lives around what is eternal and squeeze in what is temporary. Not the other way around
.oThis is our predicament. Over and over again, we lose sight of what is important and what isnt.
oWe all want God, Anne Lamott writes, but left to our own devices, we seek all the worldly thingspossessions, money, looks, and power because we think they will bring us fulfillment. But this turns out to be a joke, because they are just props, and when we check out of this life, we have to give them all back to the great prop master in the sky. Theyre just on loan. Theyre not ours. They all go back in the box.
oThe object of life, according to Jesus, is breathtakingly simple: Be rich toward God. Dont spend your life playing Master of the Board. Its a suckers game. You cant beat the house. But you can be rich toward God. Your lifewith Gods help can be a source of pleasure to the God of the universe. oBeing rich toward God means:
oGrowing a soul that is increasingly healthy and good.oLoving and enjoying the people around you.
oLearning about your gifts and passions and doing good work to help improve the world.
oBecoming generous with your stuff.oMaking that which is temporary become servant of that which is eternal.
oSavoring every roll of the dice and every trip around the board.
oThe great secret joy of lifethe prize that we think getting richer will bring usis the ecstasy of gratitude. Gratitude is how those rich toward Godrich in being, not just havingplay the game.
oWithout gratitude, our lives degenerate into envy, dissatisfaction, and complaints, taking what we have for granted and always wanting more.
oJust as we all have a mission, a way of contributing to Gods kingdom that we were designed and gifted forwe also have what might be called a shadow mission.
Raising a Modern Day Knight Half Time Authentic Faith Choose the Life Rumors
The Ishbane Conspiracy The Unstoppable Force When the Game is Over It All Goes Back in the Box Spirit of the Disciplines
The Dangerous Duty of Delight A Million Miles in a Thousand Years Paul Follow Me Sacred Pathways Buried Alive