Recently, my family and I went through an experience that many people told us to run from. To be completely honest, they were absolutely right (from the world’s point of view), we should have taken the very next bus out of town and never looked back, but our Father was calling us to something different. As a friend of mine said recently, you “either can be defined by your surroundings, or let the Father REFINE you in the fire for His glory.”
Don’t expect God’s next step to make sense.
In my short time as a pastor I’ve seen so many people who have HUGE dreams but back off because it will not work out on paper and they are afraid people will think they are crazy…
I think we need more crazy people…
- People thought Noah was crazy when he built the ark.
- People thought Abraham was crazy when climbed a mountain to sacrifice his son.
- People thought Joseph was crazy when he shared his dreams!
- People thought Moses was crazy when he announced God’s relocation project!
- People thought Joshua was crazy when he announced the battle plan for Jericho!
- People thought Gideon was crazy when the army got reduced to 300.
- People thought David was crazy when he walked out to meet Goliath.
- People thought Elijah was crazy when he faced the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel
- People thought Nehemiah was crazy when he had a dream to build something incredible for the Kingdom.
- People thought John the Baptist was crazy when he preached a radical message. (He might of actually been a little crazy)
- People thought the woman who poured out perfume on Jesus’ feet was crazy…and yet He honored her in front of all of them. (Listen)
- People thought the Apostles were crazy in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit showed up!
- People thought Paul was crazy for planting churches and taking the Gospel to the Gentiles!
These were crazy people, insane, but ALL of them were used by God to do GREAT THINGS because they refused to be “normal” when our Father called them to be something so much more.
I do not want to be the guy who never attempts anything great and plays if safe. “Taking up my cross” SCREAMS, “be willing to give up everything, including YOUR REPUTATION!”
The world needs more people who will die to the idea of being crazy and live in complete obedience, those are the people who make the difference.
So which one are you? Are you sitting on the sidelines hearing the Father calling you to engage? Are you still refusing because of (you fill in the blank)?
Pat Harmes says
Jon you are so right
Rodney P. Eady says
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