Again, we will get to the point in a bit! From my readings of Crazy Love (anything in italics is straight from the book)

I have to admit, this morning I came in to work early to make sure that I get a few things done, but another reason I like getting to work early, is the fact that my office is quiet before 9, with usually only Mark (my brother from another mother) Aaron (accountant who is a great guy and fellow believer) , Kristy (our Shipping and Receiving backbone, and fellow believer) and Bob (someone, who I have the utmost respect for, and have grown to understand).  This morning was no different, except the fact that  I find myself fighting back tears, not that anything has happened to me , or that I am completely out of line, but simply I read a question that was posed by John Piper but can be found in the book Crazy Love on page 100…Here it is!

The critical question for our generation- and every generation-is this:   If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied, if Christ was not there?

I asked myself this question this morning and almost began crying…I am getting it, I am really getting it.  I have been fighting this for so long and truly wondering what is enough for Christ, not out of guilt, not out of fear, or anything, but what in totality does Christ want from me.  This question put it all in perspective…If I get to see Grandma again, if I can enjoy my kids and wife when in heaven, La Charreada, Will Rock 4 Food, Mom and Dad and my Brother Gabe’s fam, and other family, the Buckeyes, Racquetball, the elliptical, and yes the Cleveland Browns, If I had all of these earthly things in heaven, would I be satisfied with being in heaven with these if Christ was not there…..HOLY FREAKIN CRAP, that is a wake up call if I have ever seen one.  I mean think about it, does alot of your thought of Heaven focus on the fact of who you are going to meet when you get there, or the fact that you get to spend the rest of eternity in the presence of Christ. I must answer that I do the same…and that is not cool, but still ok!  I do not think, It is going to be the thing that I have longed for, for my whole life, to die and be in the presence of God for eternity and think that is enough. But my eyes are open, and I see that the true importance of this life is not the complete result in the end, although do not get me wrong, I believe that I am the biggest fan of getting to spend the rest of my life in heaven, but the biggest thing is the way that I am running to God on this earth right now!

The fact is that I need God to help me love God. And if I need His help to love Him, I definitely need His help to love other, fault filled human beings.  I mean think about it, we cannot love God well without God, we would lose or focus. So the major thing that we need to think about is the fact that we need God to step in and show us exactly how to love Him, ourself and others and the only way to love others well, is to run straight to loving God, if we do this with all that we are, and we run to him because He is our refuge, instead of guilt, if we run to him, I mean with a laser focus…then watch what He does with our lives.  The fact is that we run towards Him, while carrying other things with us….I mean have you ever tried  to run while eating a box of twinkies, besides being self-defeating and sideache inducing, it would also be near impossible–you would have to stop running, in order to eat the twinkies. In the same way, you have to stop loving and pursuing Christ in order to sin! When you are running toward Christ, and pursuing love, you do not have the time to wonder, Am I doing this right, or did I serve enough this week!

So this is it, Is Christ enough to run after with just Himself being the result of why I am loving so much, or am I loving out of selfish guilt driven ambition!  My prayer today has been that I will take whatever that has been placed in front of God, even though He knows what my heart wants, will be put in a secondary role, and Him be my main reason for loving Him and people, the way that I do.  I challenge you to join me in this prayer.  Please leave a comment if you are not going to “Run with Twinkies” any longer.

Jesus, I need to give myself up, I am not strong enough to love YOU and walk with YOU on my own.  I can’t do it, and I need YOU.  I need YOU deeply and desperately.  I believe YOU are worth it,that YOU are better than anything else I could have in this life or the next.  I want YOU! And when I think I don’t, I want to want YOU.  Be all in me. Take all of me. Have your way with me! Amen

BE GREAT TODAY GUYS!! THINK OF WHO LOVES YOU!