A convicting message

Have you heard of this guy Francis Chan? He's written this book called "Crazy Love" and he has also been a speaker at the Passion conferences in years past. Well...I don't know who this guy thinks he is (wink wink) but I, for one, don't like him. He had the nerve....no....the audacity to preach a horribly convicting message about knowing God's will. (in case you can't tell I am bathing that entire last sentence in sarcasm....I am actually amazingly grateful for his message).

He started talking about how he had spent time alone with God to study the book of Colossians. He read that Paul was an apostle because of God's "will". He talked about how God's "will" is His "desire." Paul was an apostle because God wanted him to be. Francis (I like to pretend that he and I are on a first name basis) then reads the 9th verse of the first book of Colossians.

"For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding"

That you would have a knowledge of His desire for you. Paul had been asking God to give this church the understanding of what God wanted them to do....and to be. He never stopped praying that this church would be able to know what God wants.

Francis (you know....my good buddy) then poses a question. A slap-you-in-the-face kinda question. An ouch-that kinda hurt question. He says this...

Do you really even want to know God's will?

I mean, duh, of course you would answer yes, right? But he goes on to ask things like: Would you really want to know what God in heaven would do with your body if he had complete control over it....to send it wherever he wanted it to, to make it say whatever he wanted it to say? Would you really want to know his desire regarding what time he wants you to wake up in the morning? Or is there a side of you that doesn't want to know....that just wants to "do this thing" and sprinkle in a little bit of God and do some good stuff for Him and love people when it's convenient?

I had to admit to myself as I listened to this message that there was a small part of me that related to what he was saying. I've got a pretty good system worked out in my family....it's not perfect, but we're making it. We've got routine, we've got organization, we've got patterns. But, as I listened to my sweet, dear, friend shoot daggers my way from the book of Truth, and as I thought about the stories of believers in the New Testament, I began to wonder if routine....structure....and pattern is perhaps a safe...and even ungodly......way to live. Now I am not knocking routine in it's entirety....I am just beginning to think that God must hold the authority in my life to throw ANY routine, ANY pattern, ANY habit, ANY meting, ANYTHING out the window (even run it over with a car and smash it to smithereenes if he wants).

I have come to the conclusion that my life if too safe. I mean, really, what great and challenging thing am I engaged in for the Kingdom's sake. Am I completely engaged in training my kids in how to recognize God's voice? Am I willing to open up my home even when it's not all the way clean? Am I too embarrassed or nervous to approach that stranger in Walmart to ask them if they know my Jesus? If I were to be brutally honest with myself (and you....since I am blogging about this) I would have to say no....not always.

I don't want to get to the end of my life and say, "well.....I made it." I want to get to the pearly gates huffing and puffing.....hair all wind whipped......teary eyed.....hands on my knees cause I can't catch my breath saying "whoa....what a ride!"

Unfortunately I am nowhere close to that life today. But, the good news for me (and for you if you are finding yourself in the same boat) is that His mercies are new every morning. No more facebook statuses that read: "in a funk today" or "back to the daily grind." I wanna write: "you will never guess the encounter I had with the Lord today!" or "Guess what God did?" Or better still, I want to be so engaged that I don't have time to update a status at all.

Friends, it is time for me to begin living. And I hope it isn't too presumptuous of me to say that I think it's time for you to do the same. Let's find out what the desire of our God is....and then lets strap in for the adventure of a lifetime!

on a total side note....you should find this message (I think it's on Itunes) and give it a listen. Mr. Chan is much better at this than I am. It was from the Passion '07 conference. You will NOT be sorry you tuned in.