Epic Bible College

Crazy Love – When You're In Love

Posted on 01. Feb, 2010 by abdrumm in Crazy Love

Crazy Love – When You’re In Love

http://crazylovebook.com/videos_chapter.html

When I think of love, I think about the pleasure and joys it brings, but I also think about the pain and sacrifice involved. Love is what we live for isn’t it? To love and to be loved. Is there anything better? It starts with the God, who is love. It came from Him and it’s meant to go back to Him. It’s also manifested in love for others. “When you’re 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. When you’re apart from each other, it’s painful, even miserable.” Chan. I know this all too well. I especially like “staying up too late to talk” for me I NEED sleep so if I give up sleep on a nightly basis to just spend time with you, or even to stay up till 4 am to talk when I need to get up at 6 am, I really must love you. It’s all worth it. Love definitely inspires us to do things that are unexpected and sometimes quite uncomfortable. Why is that when you truly love someone you’ll go through hell for them? First and foremost, Jesus did exactly that. We do do the same with our earthly love. When you have that special someone in your life, there is no height or depth you wouldn’t travel. When you truly love, giving is not enough. It’s especially not limited to Valentines Day, nor is your love for God limited to Sunday mornings and the times you serve. Love isn’t always a pleasant expression. Love includes sacrifice, commitment, and forgiveness. You may not feel like loving everyday, but in those days its expressed in those ways. I love talking about love because every way you explain it, God is in it. You see His attributes all over it.

Honestly, this whole topic is really difficult for me to read about and even write about. It’s challenging me. So here goes my confession. That special someone in my life I desperately love, fits the very description of the love in my heart. I know the great lengths I’ll go to show it, how much I enjoy to give, how I long to be with her constantly. Simply looking her in eyes brings me so much satisfaction. She doesn’t have to do anything for me in return and I am still unconditionally in love. There’s nothing wrong in this and I believe its what Jesus wants for us. Nothing of this world can replace it. To love and be loved.

But what about my relationship with God? Does it look like that on my day to day life? Am I lovesick for God? Can I go a day without Him and miss Him? This is where true relationship is in question. Or are we just Christians who say we love Jesus because that’s who we are by definition, or is it a lifestyle, is it truly in your heart expressing itself? I don’t what you think that I’m over romantizing this by any means. I understand this thing called life is very wearing on us. But if any of us knows what love feels like you know what it does to you. I struggle with the intangible God. I hope I’m not alone in this, well sort of. With God your relationship and love looks different that what’s here on Earth. I know I love God, but I know I can fall more in love. I know I can see more of his love. I pray that the reality of his love makes me fall more and more. I have days where I can’t wait to be in His presence, and others where its of little interest. I guess those are the days where worship and praying is a religious activity than a desire birthed out of love. After reading this chapter I am challenged to begin my day and time with God to pray, “God, help me to fall in love with you fresh today, reveal who you are to me and fascinate me with your love again and again.” This is a good thing to pray because we can’t love God without His help. Francis Chan said, “The fact is, I need God to help me love God…The Holy Spirit has to move in our lives.” This is so important because everything we do should begin and end with the love of God in our hearts.

Paul writes, “the only think that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Acts to serve others that comes from love doesnt leave you wondering if you served enough this week. You don’t wonder how much, or how bad, did I sin this week. It doesn’t tally up the good and bad of your life. There is freedom in love. Likewise, when there is love and forgiveness in your earthly relationships it does not wonder how much did I do this week for this person, nor does it keep records of wrongs. Acts of love are done out of the pureness of your heart. Motivated by love not fear.

“Why do most people feel they have to either pay God back for back for all He’s done (buy His love) or somehow keep making up for all their inadequacies and failures (prove their love)?” Chan. I struggled with this in the past so much. God has helped me see His love more clear in my heart rather than in my head, and it has helped, but I’d be lying if I said I still don’t struggle with this to a point. This quote describes and endless cycle of dissatisfaction with you and even God. Nothing is ever enough. “Trying harder is not the solution…we end up focusing on self.” Chan. When your relationship with God is not birthed from love, you end up thinking about yourself all too much. It’s about what I can do rather than what God has done and who He is. Because honestly its never about about me or you. It’s all about letting The Holy Spirit in our hearts and giving Him reign to change us. Because if we want to love we have to let the God of love to invade our hearts. I don’t remember God saying do this and that and I’ll love you and accept you. All he’s really done is stand at your door and knock till you open it. I’m talking to myself about this. Forget about yourself and your place with God based on you. You are a son and daughter, that’s it.

“There is nothing better than giving up everything and stepping into a passionate love relationship with God, The God of the universe who made galaxies, leaves, laughter, and me and you.” Chan. The abundant life is not having this or that, or doing this or that. Having or doing more is not an antidote to the unsatisfied life. “I hope you realize instead that the answer is love. Don’t we crave it? Because your love is better than life…Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” I believe the abundant life is knowing God in such a way he has satisfied you, yet you long for more. It’s a life expresses God’s love in you. Leaving yourself behind and living out the potential He has for you.

I’ll leave you with a challenging quote from John Piper’s book, God is the Gospel. “The critical question is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, all your friends, all the food you love, all the leisure activities you enjoy, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict, could you be satisfied with heaven if Christ were not there?” Be honest with yourself because God already knows.

“If you merely pretend to love God, or know you can love more…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 you’ve chosen _____________________ over Him time and again. Tell him you want Him to change you, that you long to genuinely enjoy Him.

“Jesus, I need to give myself up. I am not strong enough to love you and walk with you on my own. I can’t do it, and i need you. I need you deeply and desperately. I believe you are worth it, and that you are better than anything else I could have in this life or the next. I want you. And when i don’t, I want to want you. be all in me. Take all of me. Have your way with me.”

God Bless

David