Crazy Love

We are reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan in our small group. We actually studied it with our youth group this past year and felt it was so life-changing that we needed to read it again with people our age. In the book, Chan asks his readers to evaluate their hearts and their love for God. The basic premise would be, I suppose, that God's love for us is crazy, insane, against all logic because that is the way God loves. Shouldn't our response, then, be a love that is just as crazy for him?

It's a book worth reading...twice. Here are some things Chan has said that have stood out to me so far:

• Because we don't often think about the reality of who God is, we quickly forget that He is worthy to be worshipped and loved. We are to fear Him. (30)
• The irony is that while God doesn't need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don't really want Him most of the time. He treasures us and anticipates our departure from this earth to be with Him--and we wonder, indifferently, how much we have to do for Him to get by. (61)
• God is the only true Giver, and He needs nothing from us. But still he wants us. He gave us life so that we might seek and know Him. (109)
• The greatest good on this earth is God. Period. (62)
• My conclusion? Jesus' call to commitment is clear. He wants all or nothing. The thought of a person calling himself a "Christian" without being a devoted follower of Christ is absurd. (85)
• Personal experience has taught me that actions driven by fear and guilt are not an antidote to lukewarm, selfish, comfortable living. I hope you realize instead that the answer is love...When you are running toward Christ, you are freed up to serve, love, and give thanks without guilt, worry, or fear. As long as you are running, you are safe. (101, 104)

He also quotes John Piper, who says: "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 enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?"