To love Him more...

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes; so you can see." Revelation 3:15-18

"Jesus' call to commitment is clear: He wants all or nothing. The thought of a person calling himself a 'Christian' without being a devoted follower of Christ is absurd... God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love." Crazy Love

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast, it is not proud or rude. It does not insist on it own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoings, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all thing, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends... faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:4-8,13

In the book, Crazy Love, Francis Chan ask to insert your name for the word Love in this passage. As I started to do this little exercise I felt like a liar. Is this really true?? Ashley is patient... yeah right?!? Ashley is kind... not always.

I am very aware of God's grace and mercy in my life, but I have also been made aware lately that I have been making Christ part of my life, rather than my WHOLE life!

Reading Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love, has really started to rock my world! What am I living for? Where do I place my energies? "But we need to realize that how we spend our time, what our money goes toward, and where will invest our energy is equivalent to choosing God or rejecting Him. How could we think even for a second that something on this puny little earth compares to the Creator and Sustainer and Savior of it all?" Crazy Love

Oh that my life would be lived out of LOVE FOR GOD, rather than checklists, what other are doing, guilt, fear, obligation, etc. Why do I get up and read His Word in the morning... BECAUSE I LOVE HIM! Why do I reach out to my neighbor? BECAUSE I LOVE HIM! Why do I strive to honor and love my husband and son? BECAUSE I LOVE HIM! I am realizing more and more that all that matters in this life is if I have loved God and His people. What could be more rewarding....

More love to Thee, O Lord,
More love to Thee!
Hear Thou the prayer I make
On bended knee;
This is my earnest plea:
More love, O Lord, to Thee,
More love to Thee,
More love to Thee!

Once earthly joy I craved,
Sought peace and rest;
Now Thee alone I seek,
Give what is best;
This all my prayer shall be:
More love, O Lord, to Thee,
More love to Thee,
More love to Thee!

Let sorrow do its work,
Send grief and pain;
Sweet are Thy messengers,
Sweet their refrain,
When they can sing with me,
More love, O Lord, to Thee,
More love to Thee,
More love to Thee!

Then shall my latest breath
Whisper Thy praise;
This be the parting cry
My heart shall raise;
This still its prayer shall be:
More love, O Lord, to Thee,
More love to Thee,
More love to Thee!

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/368#ixzz1BVohOXCo