So, I have been reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan over the past week and a half ish and am thoroughly enjoying it.
I've just finished chapter 5 and on page 93 it talks about what really matters and how God measures us. Francis Chan states this:
"God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love."
Now you may say, "but doesn't God want our praise to him?" Yes but how SHOULD we praise God? Through the love we have for Him! If we just praise God because of all the good things that happen is that really loving Him? Is that not just loving the fact that He gives us good stuff? I see that as being friends with someone and saying actually I don't like you as a person but I really like the presents you get me for my birthday.
One thing I have learned from this book so far is to look into my faith and think, am I really fully and wholeheartedly what Jesus said a Christian should be? And I'm not. I'm not perfect and no one is or can be. This is where God's grace comes in. We're always forgiven for wrong doing and not making the mark because not one of us ever will but we should do our very best and strive for perfection. Right now you're probably thinking, well if I can't reach perfection, what's the point in trying? Well if we truly are in love with God then we should always want to please him, do what's right by him!
I want to be a loving person and to my friends and family I may be, through actions or supportive words, but in no way do I measure up to what the definition of love is in the Bible:
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, ESV.
I don't know about you but I definitely don't measure up to this! I strive to. I want to be patient and kind at all times. I want to be all the things God wants me to be, I want to follow Him and live up to His standards always. Not just when I choose to because, let's face it, we all make decisions we know are not right in God's eyes and we regret it the next day or whenever we see it's wrong. Consciously making wrong decisions. That's wrong! That's like our mothers consciously not buying a card or a present on our birthday, how much would that hurt to know your own mother just didn't give a bother what you thought just in the spare of a moment thing, do we not do the same? Thing is it's worse when we do it to God, far, far worse! I don't want to be a halfhearted, part time or in it for the prize Christian! I want to be a Christian that is in deep and totally and fully in love with God, who loves me no matter what! Isn't that amazing! I'll never be able to twist that round my puny human brain!
God loves you, know that if it is only that you know!
Bless every one of you who reads this blog,
Charlotte :3
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