If you've joined us on the journey for a book reading, you know we're reading right through Francis Chan's Crazy Love.
The First chapter we discussed, described the Bigness of God. It described the creation of the world in context of a God who made all things, and in Him that all things hold together.
I was talking to a group of High School Students at the local coffee shop the other day about how BIG God is.
One girl piped in, "I just want to get closer to God. I feel like I'm so far away." And I find this is more the rule, than the exception.
Most students that meet God on a retreat or a High MountainTop adventure have trouble walking with God through the real world. I can understand why, but it pains my heart to hear teenagers that are struggling to have a relationship with the creator of the Universe.
I know, It's tough to relate the man-made retreat atmosphere to when you have to go back and face the 'real' world. Sitting in front of a Calculus book, or an office making phone calls, doesn't exactly give the romantic inspiration to know the Creator. (no offense intended there, its just that Calculus and I have a bad history together)
But the Bigness of God is important. We must be a people who understand the relationship with something bigger than our self, and the smallness of the world we occupy. In Chapter two "You might not finish this Chapter" Chan goes to great length to point out how small mankind really is.
Chan quotes the book of James and says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes?" (4:13-14)
Yesterday I sat on the plane with a wonderful lady who works for U.S. Air. We talked for the whole flight from Durango to Phoenix about the spirituality that exists inside of every human being.
I think, in the middle of our conversation, this chapter started becoming more clear. She was telling me how her life is a culmination of spiritual decisions, and she looks for the deepest meanings in life. She said, "I'm not a religious person...but..."
As I sat there and listened to her story, it just kept getting clearer, "this is what we're all searching for."
We know there are forces bigger than ourselves out there, and as you walk through your life, you have to decide what forces you're going to serve.
Everyone knows you can't control what happens around you.
You can't control your health, you can only manage it.
You can't control your finances, look at the economic melt down happening.
You can't control who likes you and who doesn't.
You can't control the outcome of life.
I mean if you really boil it all down to the lowest common denominator, We really can't control whether we live another heartbeat or not. (I think That's the reason for the title of Chapter 2)
So today, the question is...Who are you going to serve?
Will you serve the things you know you can't control?
Or, do you take a risk?
Do you try and discover a force in the universe described as the "Alpha and Omega," "the Morning Star," "Jehovah," "Yahweh."
Will you be looking for someone that claims to have "the whole world...in His hands?"
It's up to you!
Once this is certain.
We are all on a road that leads to death, and it's our life here that is a "vapor" in the wind.
Who are you going to serve?