Am I Crazy

I have recently taken a liking to audio books on my long commute from Shoreview to Burnsville and the one I started with is Crazy Love by Francis Chan. He has some amazing views that challenge the way I look at life. Challenge my thoughts, who I am and how I am living my life for Christ. Scary to think that I may just glaze over so many portions of the bible instead of really digging into them and getting more out of them.

One of the things that challenged me to think lately is something he said about two types of people. The “naturally joyful” and the “natural worriers”. Now he went on to say that deep down the natural worries don’t trust God that we don’t believe we can trust God with our everyday things, that just because I have so much going on in my life I feel I am exempt from laying all my things down at the feet of the God who created the entire world. He gave some amazing numbers and information through out his book that just challenged me to think about how truly amazing my God is yet I still worry?!?!? Not sure how I feel about the times I worry when I listened to this portion of the book. I guess you could say it kind of hurt but was good at the same time. I mean really I look at how blessed I really am; how much I have and where I have been in life. Do I really have any room or need to worry? He has taken care of me and provided me with so much can or do I really deserve to worry about anything if He is really truly in control of my life? If I have really given Him everything and taken up His yoke I have no reason to worry. This is just one challenge I have had from this book.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matt. 11:28-30

Now the “Naturally Joyful”. I look at the bible and it talks a lot about being joyful and I have heard people talk about living joyfully and that our joy should come from Him and that being joyful is a choose, but come on is this really easy? My thoughts are of course not. I always feel that is something that I can seem to complain about, stressed about or worry (oops) about. A search on the word joyful on www.biblegateway .com lead me to the verse below. Nothing is going right and he can complain that he has nothing yet he is remaining joyful. Hmmm sounds like it is choice I should have no matter what. Definitely a challenge for me in today’s world with increased unemployment, stocks, 401k and other things I may want to lay my trust in, in today’s world.

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Hab. 3:17-18