What's crazier, the faith that is depicted in the Bible, or the faith we live out that is so different than the Bible, often different than the faith we say we have? Our lives of faith are defined by the actions we undertake--do the actions of your life match the type of faith you profess, or do you fall short? And if you fall short, are you working to improve? Or are you stuck in comfort mode?
These questions, and so many others, are at the heart of Francis Chan's Crazy Love. It's a fun book to read, albeit a challenging one. Don't read it if you aren't prepared for Chan to challenge you to be brutally honest with yourself, with God, in regards to your current life of faith. Don't read it if you're happy being comfortable. Only read it if you're prepared to examine your walk with Christ and then look forward to finding ways to be more intimate with God. Only read it if you're prepared to dream big dreams and then chase after them with all your heart. Only read it if you're prepared to follow the light of Christ wherever it might lead.
Chan roots his book in the awesomeness of God. He brings up a great point--do we stop and ponder how big, how great, God is? Are we so comfortable with God that we've forgotten how holy he is, and how his holiness demands our submission, our joyful awe and wonder before him?
And once Chan has discussed how awesome God is, we move from there into the ways God shows his love for us. Primarily through Christ, but also through simply sustaining our life every single day. We aren't guaranteed a single breath--it is all a gift from God.
The rest of the book is a question as to our response to God's gracious love. Are we totally committed to God, or do we live a half-hearted faith, ready to serve but never taking the big, risky steps to serve? Chan challenges us, and tells wonderful stories about how different people have served in different ways. We are each called to a different ministry--the question is whether we have the faith and the passion, the joy and the hope, to pursue God's calling for us without counting the cost, without worrying about security, trusting completely in God.
Do we? And if not, what are we willing to do about it?
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