I finished reading Crazy Love a day or two ago. At first I wasn't getting much from it, but I kept reading and I did get some nuggets to absorb in the end. (OK, that sounded weird. I didn't absorb them in my end, rather in my brain and heart.) I'll share some lines that stood out to me; I'll rely on Francis Chan's words to inspire you today, rather than my own...
"...if I stop pursuing Christ, I am letting our relationship deteriorate. We never grow closer to God when we just live life; it takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness."
"It is a remarkable cycle: Our prayers for more love result in love, which naturally cause us to pray more, which results in more love...
Imagine going for a run while eating a box of Twinkies. Besides being self-defeating and sideache-inducing, it would also be near impossible - you would have to stop running in order to eat the Twinkies.
In the same way, you have to stop loving and pursuing Christ in order to sin. When you are pursuing love, running toward Christ, you do not have opportunity to wonder, Am I doing this right? or Did I serve enough this week? When you are running toward Christ, you are freed up to serve, love, an give thanks without guilt, worry or fear. As long as you are running, you are safe."
3 comments:
This is so true...."...if I stop pursuing Christ, I am letting our relationship deteriorate. We never grow closer to God when we just live life; it takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness."
This gives me soemthing to think about. It also reminds me that I need to take more action in my life when it comes to my relationship with God.
Yeah. I've just started learning this. But the funny thing is, I can not make myself do more. Not really. I mean, it has to be motivated by a real desire to know God more, not by a list of things I should be doing. It has to be done because His love causes me to love Him all the more and I want everything I do to be birthed from that love. (Does that make sense?) It really is true - "We love because he first loved us" 1 John 4:19 (NIV).
Imagine that, the Bible has some truth in it. :)
You make a good point. You're right, I can't MAKE myself do more unless the right motivation is behind it. You're right, it can't be like a list of things to do. I wonder if that's why I struggle with this? I think I'm looking at it all wrong. Times in the past I've thought, "Ugh, I have to read the Bible now." Instead, I should have had a mindset of, "Finally, time with God!"
And of course the Bible has truth in it! ;)
So, how's the house this week? Is it nice for you and Chris to have a week alone?
I miss our weekly sessions. I really needed to talk a couple times. Sadly, I don't think I can do Friday. I have appts all day long, unless we meet around 1ish? We may have to find another day, huh?
Anyway, let me know.
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