I'm reading this book, Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and parts of it are rocking my world. Maybe you've heard of the saying a "lukewarm Christian" and I would argue that that is how almost every "Christian" I know lives. They go to church on Sunday, don't swear and try to be really nice, and that's where it ends. The crazy part is, if you read the Bible, you will soon realize that Jesus calls us to a much more radical life than this.
Since reading this book, I'm really trying to start making changes in my life towards becoming a radical Christian, or at least the type of Christian that the Bible defines.
One example in my life is this [From Crazy Love]:
"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows'" Malachi 3:10
"This is the only place in the Bible where God invites His poeple to test Him, to try to out-give Him... Nothing has strengthened my faith more than seeing God bless what I give back to Him, what I surrender at His feet" (page 110, Crazy Love).
So, my response to this is to give to God. But more than that, I want to give sacrificially, to the point where it costs me something, where it hurts and I feel the loss. I was saving up for a laptop for University, all the money I had made babysitting and odd little jobs over the past two months I was keeping in a cup. Once I read this part of Crazy Love, it all suddenly was put into perspective. I forget SO easily (it's embarrassing how easily, actually) who God is and how much He deserves and how I should be living my life. This Sunday I gave away all that I had saved up towards my laptop, scrapping that hope and putting my trust in God that He'll provide for me what I need when I need it, as he always has. Always.
Keeping in mind, God promises to bless you in return for what you give Him. This isn't a way to acquire things AT ALL, just for proof that God does follow through on His what He says.
Since I made that decision mid last week, I feel that God has reached down and blessed me for it. I've been looking for a job for over a month without success or any calls back or anything, and the need to start saving money was increasing. But in TWO days, I got a job. From the day I handed in my resume, I got the job the next day, without an interview even. And yesterday, I got a second call for another interview in another job.
Cool, eh?
God is real.
God does what He says He'll do.
God provides, and I have no need to worry.
It's a beautiful thing.
