Amy and I have been reading Francis Chan’s new book together called Crazy Love. No, it’s not a book about marriage; it’s a book about the love Jesus has for us and the love he wants us to passionately give back to Him and our world.Finishing chapter 6 the other night left me quite disturbed. The chapter was called “When You’re in Love.” I won’t even try to explain—I’ll just quote the end of it and let you sort it out:
“If you merely pretend that you enjoy God or love Him, He knows. You can’t fool Him; don’t even try. Instead tell Him how you feel. Tell Him that He isn’t the most important thing in this life to you, and that you’re sorry for that. Tell Him that you’ve been lukewarm, that you’ve chosen_____________ over Him time and again. Tell him that you want Him to change you, that you long to genuinely enjoy Him. Tell Him how you want to experience true satisfaction and pleasure and joy in your relationship with Him. Tell Him you want to love Him more than anything on this earth. Tell Him you want to treasure the kingdom of heaven so much that you’d willingly sell everything in order to get it . . . ”(p.111)
I had a hard time praying some of the things Francis suggested I pray and an equally hard time finishing the paragraph. I’ve been thinking on the above prayer for four days now. I want so badly to be this honest with God. I want a heart change because that last part really got me: “Tell Him you want to treasure the kingdom of heaven so much that you’d willingly sell everything in order to get it . . . ”
Here's what I think: the person who can’t pray that prayer either doesn’t think Jesus meant what he said or doesn’t understand the nature of the Kingdom. Guess what? I’m that person. Are you? Do you think Jesus really meant it? Ever since I read the above paragraph, I’ve had little peace of mind except in praying this prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola:
Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous,
to serve You as You deserve:
to give without counting the cost,
to fight needless of the wounds,
to work and not seek for rest,
to toil and not seek for reward,
save the reward of knowing I am doing Your will.
Amen.
David Achata
Amen :)
ReplyDelete"On hearing it _________ (fill in your "sticking" point/s), many of his disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?' . . . From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 'You do not want to leave me, do you?' Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'" John 6:60-69. This is Peter who will soon deny three times his best intentions in the service of saving his skin saying, "We know that you are God"? What's up? He's just like the rest of us. In the very next moment we see the grace of God that is the only hope for ALL of us as we struggle with the narrow way. "Then Jesus replied, 'Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!' (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him" (v. 70). Knowing what he knew about Judas, knowing what he knows about all of us, Christ (in communion as Triune God) continued on his way to Jerusalem where he would open up a space in himself on th cross to offer forgiveness for all, while we were "enemies." Thank God he has made a way.
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