Pine needles, galaxies, and e-minors

I have had the same lock screen on my phone for a while and thought it was such a good message that I would pass it on.

I am sure that most of you are familiar with Francis Chan, one of the most influential pastors in the Christian community. In his book Crazy Love he wrote,

“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.”

I remember exactly where I was when I read this for the first time and how much it hit me. The weight of this quote has been heavy on me for a while and I want it to resonate with you as well.

As Christians, we are not called to just follow the rules, look presentable and be kind. While all of these are good things, they are completely missing the point. The point o four life on Earth is to love God and love others. Once we fully pursue God with our entire hearts, our desires will morph into His and we will not have the desire to break the rules in the first place. The priority isn’t to not swear or read our Bible every day to check off a list, but to be so in love and immersed in our relationship with Christ that we cannot go a day without diving into His word. The more time we spend with Him, the more we will look and sound like Him.

Try to look at the world with new eyes. Appreciate the small beautiful things that can easily get lost in the motions of every day. Respond to God’s love by admiring the beauty of a cool breeze and the warmth of the sun. Let yourself be taken away by His creation and inspire every aspect of your life.

The Word of God is so powerful and I encourage all of you to translate this into your lives as well. Whether that is running a business, creating a product, or walking down the street, let the presence of God be visible in your life. Create with a passion and innovate with the Kingdom in mind. Don’t get too caught up in trying to run the perfect business or worry about following all the rules and having a good image. If your number one goal is to love God, everything else will fall into place. For we are not working for the world, but for the glory of our God.

It won’t be easy, but it will be so worth it.