A Crazy Kind of Love

"We have only our two-fifths-of-a-second-long scene to live. I don't know about you, but I want my two-fifths of a second to be about my making much of God...The point of your life is to point to Him."

Francis Chan wrote those lines in his book, Crazy Love, and those few lines have had my head churning ever since I read them. In light of eternity, my life is such a brief moment - a blip on the radar. Everything within me strives to make the most of every opportunity so that my life glorifies God. I've always thought that this kind of crazy love for God could only be expressed through radical and drastic actions, like moving to Africa, starting a non-profit organization, or selling everything I own to give to the poor. After all, God did SO much for me, it's the least I can do to do something extreme for Him. Part of me wants to drop everything I am doing in my life so that I can express my crazy love for God in a crazy way, but part of me also looks at my calendar and sees another babysitting job or another doctors appointment. Part of me dreams of all the radical things I could do for God so that I go down in history, but part of me is held back by the laundry, the mail, facebook, and daily duties that I need to cross off of my to-do list.

You can see where my dilemna arises. God's crazy love for me has made me crazy-in-love with Him! I want to showHim my love in a crazy way (which is what Chan challenges you to do in that book), but it's so hard to plan a trip to Africa when I have an 8-5 babysitting job all next week.

As I was praying about this in the car today, God whispered something in my ear that I want to share with you.

Sometimes, crazy love means making the most of your everyday circumstances in order to bring God glory.

Yeah, it's pretty extravagant to sell all your stuff or move to a foreign country because of your love for God. But you know what? How much more crazy is it to love God with all your heart while you are doing your everyday business? To honor God in your job, to share His love with the lady in the check-out line, to be an example for the kids in your youth group, to facebook someone who needs encouragement - now that's crazy love! It is easy to dream about all the big things you can do for God, but the craziest way to show your incredible love for Him is to live every day with the sole purpose of bringing Him glory and fame. Maybe it is just an ordinary day filled with ordinary activities, but get creative and discover ways to bring God's love and light to the people and circumstances surrounding you. I love what Chan said about "making much of God." It reminds me of a song by Steven Curtis Chapman (called "Much of You"):

I want to make much of you, Jesus
I want to make much of your Love
I want to live today to give you the praise
That you alone are so worthy of
I want to make much of your mercy
I want to make much of your cross
I give you my life
Take it and let it be used
to make much of you

It is my new goal to make this my prayer every morning I wake up. As I ask myself, "What do I have to do today?" I want to also ask, "Lord, how can I make much of you in all my events and appointments?" What purose and joy this brings! All of a sudden, I see something more in my day to day life! I may not be able to do drop everything I am doing to become a full time missionary, but I can do my best and work my hardest at everything I do everyday, all the while looking for opportunities to show the love of Christ in my actions or speak the name of the Holy God in my conversations. Now that is crazy love!