Adoration for Jesus

Like I have stated in my previous posts, I am trying to understand falling in love with Jesus. I a reading a book called Crazy Love By Francis Chan--which is AMAZING and I totally recommend everyone and everyone to read it!!! As I have been going through the book I am learning little by little what it means to Love Jesus and what that looks like. I just wanted to share a little about what I am learning:

1. Have you ever thought about the Immensity of the Universe?
First off this world we live in and take granted for is just unbelievable and so detailed. For example, the Earth is positioned just enough away from the Sun for life to exist. Have you ever thought of if we were a little closer or little further we wouldn't be able to live? Just take a quick look at this mind-blowing video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpChZxPfa-c

Isn't that just crazy? I'm speechless. How often do we think of something as monumental as the Universe? This is why we are called to glorify the Lord. For He is majestic and breath-taking. This world is amazing and beautiful and we can thank the Lord for it by praising him! :0)

2. We are Selfish People
I'm sure you've heard it before, but you could die at ANY moment...seriously. It's hard to think of because we live each day as just another day. Frederick Buechner said, " Intellectually we all know that we will die, but we do not 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 as though our lives would go on forever."
Each day we wake up thinking: "What will I do for myself today?" Go shopping? Buy a new entertainment system? Go to the spa? You see the picture. Me, Me, Me, Me, ME! But like the last point it isn't about us, but God. For this is his world and we are here to glorify and bring praise to Him!

3.  Stress and Worry

"Worry implies that we don't quite trust God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives (Chan 42)"

"Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, out lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control (Chan 42)"

I love these quotes. They are SO...SO true!!! This comes back to being selfish people. We think it's all about us and we need control. This is totally me. I am a control freak--I have gotten better, but still love control of knowing--and being a control freak I worry a lot and stress about things that don't deserve my attention.

Like knowing what my week looks like. What I'll do each day, when, where...I like to organize a schedule and need to be on time. However, out here in Los Angeles people are always late and lackadaisical. It drove me INSANE for the first few years I lived out here and I would get so frustrated and strung up. People weren't on time, causing my schedule to fall apart. I would worry about the next thing I had to do and stress over making it there on time. But all that energy and frustration just put me in a bad place. Who cares? Life's not perfect. 

The funny thing is that it would always somehow work out. haha funny how God's always got your back hu? That's what I have learned about stress and worry. There's no use wasting that energy and getting so strung up that your Grumpy from Snow White. God's got your back, even in the smallest things.

4. Loving versus Obligation

Scripture tells us: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" --Matthew 22:37

 This doesn't mean scheduling time to pray, journal, or reflect. It doesn't mean going to church because it's Sunday. It doesn't mean going to bible study so you can check it off your list for the week. Loving Jesus with all your heart, mind, and soul is something internal. It means you WANT to do these things not that you are obligated to do them; your motivation changes from guilt to love. I don't go to basketball practice because I HAVE TO (although sometimes it feels like it), but because I actually LOVE IT. I wouldn't be playing if I truly didn't Love it.