"When you are truly in love, you go to great lengths to be with the one you love. You'll drive for hours to be together, even if it's only for a short while. You don't mind staying up late to talk. Walking in the rain is romantic, not annoying. You'll willingly spend a small fortune on the one you're crazy about. When you are apart from each other, it's painful, even miserable. He or she is all you think about; you jump at any chance to be together.
In his book, God is the Gospel, John Piper essentially asks whether we are in love with God:
"The critical question for our generation--and for every generation is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?"
How many of you will read those words and say, 'You know, I might just be ok with that.'? If you are deeply in love with God...you know you could never be satisfied in a heaven without Christ."
~From the book, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan
2 comments:
Since there is no Facebook "like" button, I must start by saying I would have pressed it if there had been :)
This post really hit a chord with me, because, yes, being "in love with God" means that so many things would flow naturally. Loving one another is no problem if we have a reason why we should, an example of how to do so, and the desire to do all things for God instead of ourselves and other people.
Also, "Pray without ceasing" (I Thess. 5:17) would be much easier if we truly had this love of God and desire to be with Him, in HIs will, and conversing with Him daily.
I think I may be writing a bit much in this little box, but another thing that just came into my head is how Christians (myself included) tend to work daily toward that heaven that will not satisfy. We fight against the symptoms, trying to reform people's actions and thoughts, instead of showing them a loving God that would replace their idol of self.
And... I promise this will be the last thing I say...
Wouldn't it be great if God would pop into our minds the same way some "crush" does. What if we thought about, desired, and planned the progress of our relationship with Christ instead of daydreaming and hoping for something we know is false?
Thanks, Rachel, for the post.
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