All For Him

"Intellectually we all know that we will die, but we do not really know it in the sense that the knowledge becomes a part of us. We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true. On the contrary, we tend to live as though our lives would go on forever."

--Frederick Buechner

Today I ready chapter two of Crazy Love. The title of this chapter is "You Might Not Finish This Chapter"....comforting right?! Well, let me just warn you...comforting isn't exactly the first thing that came to my mind as I read this chapter! haha. Not to say that it isn't comforting to know that God is bigger than us...BUT the word that I think better describes this chapter is "humbling".

Francis Chan challenges the readers of this chapter to consider how we go through our days making plans and how we live each day. Do you wake up in the morning and think, "This could be my last day on this earth!" or "This could be my last chance to tell someone I love them." or "This could be the last opportunity I have to share the love of Jesus with those who I come in contact with."? I know that definitely isn't my habit! I usually wake up and think, first of all, "I don't want to be awake." Then I think, "Shoot! Did I do all of my homework for today?!"...then, "Wonder what I'm gonna wear today...since I didn't do laundry yesterday I guess I'll be wearing the last pair of clean shorts and whatever t-shirt I can find that maybe semi-matches..." Then, I get out of bed and start rummaging through my clothes looking for anything that even remotely goes together and still looks and smells clean." After picking something out I hurry to brush my teeth, put my hair into a messy bun, grab my backpack, and rush off to class, often in not the best of moods because the last thing I want to be doing is sitting in a desk listening to a 70-year-old man talk about World Literature.

What a great start to my day, right?! NO!! I almost always start my day out thinking of myself, whether that may be what I'm going to wear or what all I have to do that day or who I'm going to go to lunch with! There is so much more to life than these small, insignificant details that I often spend so much time worrying about. And ultimately it is a waste of my time because I may spend an hour trying to figure out how to even begin my Spanish paper and for all I know I might not be alive to turn it in the next day! I know that sounds kinda morbid, but it's the truth! We have not been promised any amount of time on this earth! And even if we live a long life of 90 years are these minuscule things really going to matter in the grand scheme of things? No, they aren't. (Not saying that school isn't important..we should do it to God's glory, but ultimately it's not worth stressing over.)

WARNING: THIS NEXT QUOTE FROM THE BOOK JUST ABOUT KNOCKED THE BREATH OUT OF ME...YEAH, IT'S THAT CONVICTING!!! (Don't say I didn't warn you. lol.)

"I used to believe that in this world there are two kinds of people: natural worriers and naturally joyful people. I couldn't really help it that I was the worrying kind. I'm a problem solver, so I have to focus on things that need fixing. God can see that my intensity and anxiety are ministry related. I worry because I take His work seriously. Right? But then there's that perplexing command: 'Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!' (Phil 4:4). You'll notice that it doesn't end with '...unless you're doing something extremely important.' No, it's a command for all of us, and it follows with the charge, 'Do not be anxious about anything' (v. 6). That came as a pretty staggering realization. But what I realized next was even more staggering. When I am consumed by my problems--stressed out about my life, my family, my job--I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God's command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have a 'right' to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities." (Told ya it was convicting!!!)

He then gives the example of being an extra in a movie. Say I'm in the movie for two fifths of a second and you see the back of my head and I get all excited and just want everyone to watch this movie with me in it! How ridiculous would that be? It's not even a big part of the movie and doesn't really have anything to do with the main idea or story line. It's just one little part used to make the movie and the director could have used the back of anyones head. It didn't have to be my head! I live my life like that person in the movie. My life is a vapor, two fifths of a second, in this movie of life and I act like it's such a big deal! I make my priorities, desires, and needs of great importance and put myself first so often. But this is God's earth. I am His vessel. My life belongs to Him and should be devoted to bringing Him glory!

Then he continues to ask the question "Are you ready?" You don't know when you're life will end. You don't know how much time God has given you. You could be living your last few minutes right now. We never know when God may choose to take our life from us. So are you ready? Have to made a difference on this earth? Have your shared Jesus with those who need to know about Him? Have you lived like someone who loves Jesus and made that love evident to those around you? If you were to die today what would be said at your funeral tomorrow? This life is short. Even if you live to be 100 years old, in the grand scheme of life 100 years is like a vapor that disappears in the wind. Don't take this life for granted! Stop and think about what you're doing with your life. Is it bringing glory to our Great and Mighty God? Think about it!

I want to leave you with the last two little paragraphs in this chapter. "A friend of mine has a particularly wise perspective on this subject. He was asked if he weren't spending too much of his time serving and giving too much away. His gentle but honest response was, 'I wonder if you'll say that after we're dead.' Friends, we need to stop living selfish lives, forgetful of our God. Our lives here are short, often unexpectedly so, and we can all stand to be reminded of it from time to time. That's why I wrote this chapter, to help us remember that in the movie of life, nothing matters except our King and God. Don't let yourself forget. Soak it in and keep remember that it is true. He is everything."