My first topic I'd like to discuss is the about the overused saying, "Live life to the fullest." I know lots of people saying this, thinking they actually mean it, but do they really? I like to think I do this, but after reading just the beginning of this chapter I found myself to be VERYY INCORRECT. Here is my first quote from the book, it may seem long, but I feel it's very important for it to be on here:
"But it's easy to think about today as just another day. An average day where you go about your life concerned with your to-do list, preoccupied by appointments, focused on family, thinking about your desires and needs. On an average day, we live caught up in ourselves. On the average day, we don't consider God very much. On the average day, we forget out lives are truly just a vapor. But there is nothing normal about today. Just think about everything that must function properly just for you to survive. For example, your kidneys. The only people who really think about their kidneys are those whose don't properly. The majority of us take for granted our kidneys, liver, lungs, and other internal organs that we're dependent upon to continue living. What about driving down the road at sixty-five miles per hour, only a few feet away form cars going the opposite direction at the same speed? Someone would only have to jerk his or her arm and you would be dead. I don't think that's morbid; I think it's reality. It's crazy to think today is just a normal day to do whatever we want with it. To those of us who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. James 4:13-13 says, "Why, you don't even know what will happen tomorrow? What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes." When you think about it that's a little discontenting. But even after reading those verses, do you really believe you could vanish at any minute? That perhaps today you will die? Or do you instead feel some how invincible? Frederick Buechner writes, "Intellectually we all know that we will die, but we don't really know it in the sense that the knowledge becomes a part of us. We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true. On the contrary, we tend to live our live as though our lives would go on forever."
Nothing up there ^^^^^^^ was Jamie's words. I take no credit for that. Just a reminder (:, but wow doesn't that kind of put our "I live life to the fullest" statement to shame? Do you honestly, whole-heartedly think that you live each day, each second as if you could die at the drop of a hat? Do you realize how different our world would be if we ACTUALLY lived like that. I'm assuming most of you who read this (not including adults-well maybe some adults :P) have heard of Wiz Khalifa, right? Yah, can't believe I'm talking about him but here are some lyrics from his song "Young, Wild, and Free": "So what we get drunk? So what we smoke weed? We’re just having fun, we don’t care who sees. So what we go out? That’s how its supposed to be, Living young and wild and free." I'm probably not the only one who thinks that this is how some people (a good chunk) in our world lives today, "living their lives to the fullest." It honestly breaks my heart how people waste their lives away for partying, drugs, alcohol, sex, and fitting into what our society has made as "the norm". To me "the norm" shouldn't be that smoking weed on a weekly basis for a 13 year old is normal. Our lives here are so minuscule, so so small, but what we do and how we spend our time here determines OUR ETERNITY. Should't that matter? Shouldn't that influence people to change their lives and use their time more wisely. People think they have time. People say, "Once I'm older I'll change, let me be young and have fun." No people. You don't have time, you have no idea when your life here will end. If you died tonight in your sleep could you honestly say you are happy the way you lived your life, whether you are in your 40's or if your 15. Are you okay with the mark you left on this world? More importantly, what is in your heart, at this very moment, matters. People may think I'm overreacting, but GET REAL PEOPLE. This is the reality of our lives here. Yes, it's very scary to think about this, but we have to. If you knew you would die in 5 min, do you know where you'd end up once you left this earth? Does your double-digit of years that you lived here matter more than forever?
This is another quote from the book: " One of the most powerful examples I've seen of this was Stan Gerlach, a successful businessman who was well known in the community. Stan was giving a eulogy at a memorial service when he decided to share the gospel. At the end of his message, Stan told the mourners, "You never know when God is going to take your life. At that moment, there is nothing you can do about it. Are you ready?" Then Stan sat down, fell over, and died."
I take no credit for that^^^^^^^. This could easily happen to any of us or any of our loved ones. Are you getting just a little understanding of how serious this is?? Do you care about your salvation or the salvation of the people you love enough to make a change??
Another example from the book: "Brooke Bronkowski was a beautiful fourteen-year-old girl who was in love with Jesus. When she was in junior high, she started a bible study on her campus. She spent her babysitting money on Bibles so she could give them out to her unsaved friends. Youth pastors who heard about this brought her boxes of Bibles to give away. Brooke wrote the following essay when she was about twelve; it will give you an idea of the kind of girl she was. The title of the essay is "Since I Have My Life Before Me": "I'll live my life to the fullest. I'll be happy. I'll brighten up. I will be more joyful than I ever have been. I will be kind to others. I will loosen up. I will tell others about Christ. I will go on adventures and change the world. I will be bold and not change who I really am. I will have no troubles, but instead will helps others with their troubles. You see, I'll be one of those people who live to be history makers at a young age. Oh, I'll have moments, good and bad, but I will wipe away the bad and only remember the good. In fact that's all I remember, just good moments, nothing in between, just living my life to the fullest. I'll be one of those people who go somewhere with a mission, an awesome plan, a world-changing plan, and nothing will hold me back. I'll set an example for others, I will pray for direction. I have my life before me. I will give others the joy I have and God will give me more joy. I will do everything God tells me to do. I will follow the footsteps of God. I will do my best!!!" During her freshman year in high school, Brooke was in a car accident while driving to the movies. Her life on earth ended when she was just fourteen, but her impact didn't. Nearly 1,500 people attended her funeral...I shared the gospel and invited those who wanted to know Jesus to come up and give their lives to Him. There must have been at least 200 hundred students on their knees infront of the church praying for salvation. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, " It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart." Stories of people who died after living Godly lives are stories with happy endings. Sadly, many people die while living selfishly."(not living a life in Christ)
I take no credit for that^^^^^^^. She was just 14, at 14 years old she saved more than 200 people's lives by handing out bibles. How small of an act is that?!? A lot of you may think the little things you do to help people don't matter, but this is a huge example of what showing Jesus' love can do. Your life can leave a huge impact on this world. You can live the life God has planned for you, if you give in and give him the reigns. It is sooo sooo worth it. Reading this story of Brooke brought tears to my eyes, tears of happiness for what such a young person could do to so many people, but tears of sadness and desperation for the people I know and love that NEED Christ. I don't know what I can say to convince them anymore, but I know my God will step in when it's His time, and He will make a way.
More book: A.W. Tozer once said, "A man by his sin may waste himself, which is to waste that which on earth is most like God (we are made in the image and likeness of God). This is man's greatest tragedy and God's heaviest grief." When we face the holy God, "nice" isn't what we will be concerned with and it definitely won't be what He will be thinking about. Any compliments you received on earth will be gone; all that will be left for you is truth. The church is Sardis had a great reputation, but it didn't matter. Jesus said to them, "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead" (Revelation 3:1) All that matters is the reality of who we are before God. (Jamie's words: How a person acts can be completely different from what's really on their heart, that's why examining your heart is SOOO important- check out 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 if you'd like more explanation of revelation 3:1-google it if you need to) Perhaps that sounds harsh, but harsh words and loving truth go hand in hand. I think it's easy to hear a story like Brooke's and easily move on, without acknowledging that it could just as easily be you or me whose life suddenly ends. You could be the next person in your family to die. We have to realize it. We have to believe it enough that it changes how we live. A friend of mine has a particularly wise perspective on this subject. He was asked if he was spending too much time serving and giving too much away. His gentle, but honest response was, "I wonder if you'll say that after we're dead." We need to stop living selfish lives, forgetful of our God. Our lives here are short, often unexpectedly so, and we can all stand to be reminded of it from time to time."
I take no credit for that ^^^^^^^^^^ All of this is super emotionally exhausting for me, but this next part is the biggest part in this post. To me I feel like it could never be stressed enough. Lukewarm. Do you know what that means? Well if you don't, think of lukewarm as being "half-hearted." In Francis' book he gave so many examples of a Lukewarm faith, but I will discuss a few of them. Lukewarm Christianity is EVERYWHERE and it's really sad. I'm very guilty of this, but THANK GOD HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT- or to put it in more socially accepted words: "we'd be screwed without it." If I were to describe what a lukewarm faith was I'd say it's someone who say's they are a Christian, and sometimes does "Christian-y" things like goes to church, or helps at the food shelf etc, but the person they really are doesn't reflect what a Christian is at all. It would be like if a stranger was looking a someone with a lukewarm faith and you told them that person was a Christian, they'd be all "whhatt!??". It just cuts me really deep because I know of so many people like this. It's so. hard. to. watch. Especially when you care about that person SOO much. I'm also filled with guilt for the times when I am lukewarm. I really want you guys to understand that I'm not portraying myself as perfect, I'm not trying to call people out on their faults, my hands are not clean. Some of you may say how hypocritical this post is, but we are all guilty, I'm aware that I sin too. One thing that really erks me is when I see someone with a cross tattooed on their back with the words "only God can judge me" and all I can think is, "Pfff, that person doesn't even care about God." This is a very judgmental point coming from me, but it is something that is super frustrating. Or someone will say, "I asked Jesus into my heart a long time ago, so I'm saved.", but the way they live their life is far from Christian, just asking God into your heart won't give you salvation. If you ask God into your heart, but go on with your life as if you don't know Jesus what good was done at all? What was the point? Living a Christian lifestyle is a persistent, day-to-day thing. As James 2:26 says, "Faith without works, is dead." Don't talk the talk, if you can't walk the walk, right? But back to the major point of this. As hard as it is to say this, this is what Jesus thinks about Lukewarm Christians in Revelation 3:15-18 "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see." There is no being on the fence with God; you are either all in or all out.This isn't the most pleasant thing I've ever heard Jesus say. I do not want to see myself or the people I love be put in this category. I won't let it happen. And I'm hoping this post reaches them along the way, because I've tried and tried, but nothing seems to help them.
More from the book: "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 is absurd. Lets face it, we're willing to make changes in our lives only if we think it affects our salvation. This is why I have so many people ask me questions like, Can I divorce my wife and still go to heaven, do I need to be baptized to get saved, If I commit suicide can I still go to heaven, If I have sex with my girlfriend do I still go to heaven?" etc. To me, these questions are tragic because they reveal much about the state of our hearts. They demonstrate that our concern is more about going to heaven, than loving our King. Jesus said in John 14:15, " If you love me, you will obey my command." And our question quickly becomes even more unthinkable: Can I go to heaven without truly and faithfully following Jesus? I don't see anywhere in the scripture that says yes. James 2:19 says, " You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder." God doesn't just want us to have good theology; He wants us to know and love Him. 1 John 2:3-4 says, "We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man says, "I know Him", but does not do what he commands is a liar and truth is not in him." Matthew 16: 24-25 Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." Luke 14:33 says, "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." Some people claim that we can be Christians without necessarily becoming disciples. I wonder, then, why the last thing Jesus told us was to go into the world, making disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all that he commanded? You'll notice that he didn't add in, "But hey if that too much to ask, tell them to just become Christians- you know the people who go to heaven without having to commit to anything."
I take no credit ^^^^^^^^^ There yah have it folks. Some hard evidence from the Word. I've struggled with this concept for awhile, wondering if I became Christian because I love Jesus or that I'm trying to avoid hell. That is a scary thought. But that's why I continuously work towards bettering myself. I'm working on falling crazy in love with Jesus. I don't want to say I'm Christian because I'd rather spend eternity Heaven than in Hell. I want to say I'm a Christian because I love Jesus Christ, the most faithful, loving, and most forgiving person there ever was who died so I could live. Francis then goes onto say that all Christians have lukewarm elements in their lives, and that it is God's grace that saves us from those elements. God's word clearly states that there is some room for our failure and sin in our pursuit of God. God knows we are human. So I'm hoping this didn't all scare you guys away from the idea of God. Our God is very loving, gracious and full of mercy. For those of you who aren't sure if you're Christian yet or if you're just beginning, know that our God is not a scary God, like all of these things I've been talking about. He has a love for you beyond anything you will ever be able to grasp (He was willing to let go of his son FOR YOU!) and He wants to give you the BEST life that He can give you. It is better than the life you have planned for yourself. He won't force you into choosing Him or loving Him. That is a choice you have to make. I promise you it is worth it. My whole life hasn't been the same since April 6th, 2009 when I fully committed my heart to Christ. It isn't easy, Jesus, never said it would be. But it will be worth it. He wants to be your best friend. He's the best person to vent to. If you are wondering where to start changing, remember LOVE is the most important part of this life. 1 Corinthian 13:4-8 is the very famous passage that says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." A really awesome mentor of mine once told me to replace my name in that verse every time is says love, so "Jamie is patient, Jamie is kind.."etc. If you try that, that will remind you of how you should live your life. God has been showing me so many things I need to work on in my life lately. There is always more room for growth. It's an amazing blessing to be able to better myself with the help of my God. I really couldn't do this life without Him. Francis ends the chapter with these questions that I feel are very important to remember:
"Are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants? Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in your life? Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people He has made?"
To end this HUGE novel I'd just like to say thank you to the people still reading this and that I hoped it opened your eyes, and made you think like it did to me. You're awesome (: and God loves you veryyyyyy much! Also, since I already gave you a good chunk of Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love, and you liked it, I definitely recommend getting it! (:
.....woooofta. 2:30 a.m.? yuppp sleeppy time for this girl.
