Our good friends Rachel and Derrick DeLain came and visited Joy and I in November. It was a totally awesome time! When he was here though, Derrick recommended I read the book Radical by David Platt. He was also going through another book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. So I thought I would check both of those out.
Radical was a wake-up call to me. Here's an excerpt from the back of the book: "It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. The would, He said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for Him. They would abandon everything for the Gospel. They would take up their crosses daily..."In the book, Platt challenges Christians to forsake the American Christian dream. Forsake everything to follow Him, if that's what He asks. And start living radically for Him. While the title may sound cutting edge and contemporary for the younger Christian audience, I would say that instead it cuts to the core of your soul no matter what age you are. For example, after I finished this book, I understood more deeply why John Piper doesn't believe in retirement and saving for retirement. And it really pressed me to think of things in my life that aren't based on biblical concepts and/or principles. Not only that, the book totally challenged me to really explore what the Bible says that Jesus' followers would look like. Are they supposed to look like the comfortable, upper middle class Christians who we are so used to being around? Or are Jesus' followers more... radical?
The second book, Crazy Love, was even better than Radical. Here's the first part of the back of Crazy Love: "Have you ever wondered if we're missing it? It's crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe - the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies, and E-minor - loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss. Whether you've verbalized it yet or not... we all know something's wrong. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and don'ts - it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same."
This book explores the believer's relationship with God, and challenges so many Christians that are satisfied with a mediocre or mundane spiritual walk with God, to discover that the Bible speaks about no such thing. This book gives the why to the believer's life. Why witness to non-believers? Why be kind to my neighbor? Why should I give money to the church? If you get caught up in doing all of these things that are commanded in scripture, but your motive is not right, it will feel like drudgery and mundane duty. This book aims to shatter that bubble of just going through the motions because "God commands me to". I was soooooo challenged and convicted of my weak affections for Jesus.
And, I think I'll leave everyone with this challenge from Paul Washer.
