Call Me Crazy

I can't tell you how many people, Christian, "Christians," and/or non-believers have said that to be.  "You're crazy."  Or "wow that's crazy what you're doing, I don't know if I could do that."  Or they just give me weird looks as they nod their head and smile, saying "Good for you."  Maybe I am crazy, actually I probably am a tad crazy, but isn't that what God is looking for?  People that are crazy.  People that are willing to surrender all for the will of God?  Didn't Jesus teach that and look for those kinds of followers?  Now I am not saying of this to puff myself up, I am an idiot a lot of the time.  I am a sinner saved by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ.  But what I am saying is, Is taking Jesus at his Word, falling in love with him, and trusting him enough to say 'Heck yeah I'll follow you wherever you leads me even if that means losing everything,' is that really crazy?  Maybe by the world's standard, but doesn't seem logical based on all God has done for us?  Graciously lavishing on us his love and grace(1 John 3, Ephesians 1).  Sending his Son to absorb his wrath on the cross for my sin, your sin, Peter's sin, James' and John's sin.  Everyone's sin.  It seems like it makes sense.  I was recently reading a book, Radical, by David Platt and in Chapter 6:  How Much Is Enough?-American Wealth and a World Full of Poverty and there is a story of this man who has a lot of stuff and him and his wife decide to sell their house and give possessions away.  He's talking to the author about this and he says to David,

"I wonder at some points if I'm being irresponsible or unwise.  But then I realize there is never going to come a day when I stand before God and he looks at me and says, 'I wish you would have kept more for yourself.'  I'm confident the Lord will take care of me."

As I sat reading this chapter, I felt so convicted to give money to the church, ministries, etc but even more then that I realized something like this man.  That I'm never going to stand before God and hear 'I wish you would have lived more of your life for yourself.  I wish you would have saved more time for yourself.  I wish you would have kept more for yourself.'  I was blown away.  That my life was given to live for Him and for others in His Name.  My time here on earth isn't for myself.  It was given to give for His Glory amongst all people.  My possessions, gifts, talents weren't given for me, they were given for His Glory and to bless others into a relationship with him.

And so I say to myself, am I crazy?  Am I radical?  Or this the normal type of response to God's love, grace, mercy, cross, Jesus' call to follow, and his son.  Is this the normal response to the Son of God?  Think about that.  Is it crazy to follow the SON OF GOD, if you believe he is who he says he is?  Or is it freaking awesome, a PRIVILEGE, after all he has done for us.  I say, absolutely I will follow Jesus wherever he takes me, because HE IS LORD. And he is Lord of my life.  He "bought my life with a price," and he owns it and I surrender.

My questions to you, if you are unwilling to surrender to God, to follow Jesus the way he commands us to, or to live for God's glory are these:  Do you know who God is?  Do you know what you're saved from? And are you in love with Jesus?  Because that's Christianity.  Being absolutely in love with a God who delights in you, a God who left heaven to ransom your soul, so as to surrender everything to him in order that his glory may be made known to everyone on this earth.  Again none of this is to pat myself on the back.  I am a sinner.  A wretched one, falling short of God's glory daily.  But God has done a miracle both in my heart and in my life and my challenge to you is:  Are you willing to respond as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:8, "Here am I.  Send me."  I don't know where you would have me Lord, but I am willing.  Your will be done.