Crazy Love Observations: Chapter 7

Christianity is miserable unless you’re willing to go all the way with it. Have you ever thought about that (have you ever experienced that)? In his famous book, The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (a German pastor and theologian in the 1940s) stated, “When Jesus calls a disciple, He bids him come and die.” And it’s true. But it’s also tragic unless we read through to the rest of the message.

Jesus did indeed call us to take up our cross and follow Him on a daily basis, but He also showed us that resurrection life is waiting on the other side of that cross. If we don’t go all the way with it, we won’t get to the good stuff. If we don’t let Him lead us, we won’t experience His leading. If we don’t take a risk for Him, we’ll never see how He can do the impossible. If we don’t say “no” to temptation, we won’t experience the transcendent satisfaction that comes from His presence. If we don’t really give our lives away, we won’t really find life.

In this chapter Francis Chan calls us to find our “best life...later.” That’s another backwards dimension of the incredible Kingdom of God—despite the exhilarations and delights that we can find here on planet earth, they pale compared to the glory of eternity. The psalmist said our lives (with their highest highs and their lowest lows) are “but a mere breath.” St. Teresa said of the pain and agony we experience on earth, “compared to heaven, even the most miserable life will look like one bad night in an inconvenient hotel.” I realize this may sound trite or trivializing to someone who is experiencing the pains of planet earth, but it’s truth—and since it is, I have to concur with Francis: shouldn’t we be living our life with a view to eternity instead of being 100% consumed with what we’re facing today?

C.S. Lewis wrote, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other that they have become so ineffective in this.” I shared with you all a few Sundays ago that in a couple of months I’ll be starting a teaching series on “heaven” where we’ll study what the Bible reveals about heaven and the afterlife, and how living in the light of eternity can drastically impact our lives on earth. I’m excited to get into that study with you, but in the meantime, let’s wrestle with a few questions.

How much of what I’m doing today has eternal significance to it?

From God’s perspective, are my thoughts, passions, and dreams centered on treasure or trivia?

Is my Christianity theory that makes for good philosophy, or is it reality expressed through increasing love and care for hurting people in the world around me?

Will Jesus be proud to come back for me?

Tough questions...I’m SO grateful to be wrestling through them with you!!

I love you!

Chris