This is a question Melissa and I have heard a few times over the last six months. "You're moving where?!?" "You're taking your children and a new baby where?!?" "You're living in a 500-square-foot cabin with 3 children?!?" "You're not even getting paid to do this?!?" Believe me, we've asked ourselves the same questions numerous times.
Last October Melissa and I listened to Frances Chan speak about leaving the church he founded (Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley, CA), sell his home, and move overseas for a season of ministry. He took his young family and moved to Asia. He said he was asked numerous times, "Are you crazy?" And that was just from his church members.
When I look at scripture I see a lot of "craziness":
Noah built an ark in the middle of a desert years before it even rained.
Abraham left his home for a land that God would reveal later, promising he would be a father in his 90s.
Samson killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.
Moses went before the Pharaoh of Egypt to demand God's people be released from slavery, and then led possibly over 1 million in the desert for 40 years.
Joshua and the Israelites marched around Jericho playing trumpets and yelling and the walls fell without firing a shot.
David challenged the giant Goliath with a rock and a sling and killed him.
John the Baptist lived in the desert eating locusts and wild honey while preaching that the Messiah was near.
Peter walked on water.
Paul gave up his life of religious prominence for a life of full-time missions, and was later beheaded for his work
The early church in Acts was known for selling all they had to care for the poor so that noone had need.
Anything Jesus did...
Frances asked this question - what if you were to take your life's story and place it in the context of the New Testament Church and the early Christians, would your life sound a little "crazy"? I think many times what I would consider to be "crazy" God considers simple obedience. Imagine what our influence and message could be as Christians if we all did a little "crazy" now and then. I can't think of anything Jesus ever did that was "normal" by anyone's standards. Most of what He did went against the cultural norms.
The question becomes this: do I believe Jesus is who He said He is, and do I trust Him when He tells me to do something even before I know what the outcome might be? Jesus, because He loves me, gave up His position in Heaven to take the form of a man for 33 years, just so that He could sacrifice Himself on a cross for my sins, so that my penalty could be paid in full without any work on my part. And He did it knowing I would still mess things up on a daily basis and embarrass His name over and over. Who does that? Now that's crazy.
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