Get Wild

Galatians 1.10: Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5.13: If we are out of our minds it is for the Lord, but if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

Following Christ is a hard thing to do. And we are called to do the hard things. We will be ridiculed, persecuted, judged, mocked, and even killed. Even in this day and age Christians are still being killed for their faith.

Sometimes we have complete strangers test our faith. Other times close friends. There’s other Christians who’s actions can push us away from Christ. Even family members speak out against us from time to time.

The motivations are all different. Want you to be “cool.” They “want what’s best for you.” Some even think that we are completely crazy for believing what we believe. They want us to do things for them, to make them happy. Yet as Paul wrote, are we trying to make men happy, or God?

Which is more important?

We should be so wrapped up in love for God and have such a desire to make him happy that we should seem crazy as all get out to those around us who don’t understand our joy in life and love for God.

There’s a movie called Arthur staring Russell Brand. There is a scene where he is supposed to propose to a woman, yet instead goes on a random acts spree, kissing older women, gargling champagne, messing around in a kitchen of an incredibly high end restaurant. Finally his soon to be fiancé calms him down and gets him to “admit” that he does crazy things when he’s in love.

Now of course our craziness is not to be faked, but instead genuine. There was a time when I had long hair, and if you don’t know me and are reading this I’m a guy, and had my hair down to my shoulder blades. (I was weird in high school) But I’d go to concerts and go insane. One of my nick names was windmill. But people from school looked at me the next week after a concert and went, “That’s the guy that was going crazy at the concert? He broke some kids nose. He knocked guys twice his size out of the mosh pit. He. Is. Nuts.”

I was so into hardcore music back then that I seemed crazy to people. That is how we are to be for God. Where we are so for him and so for pleasing him and doing his will that people will think we are absolutely nuts.

My girlfriend is going to China for about 2 months this summer for God.

A youth minister I used to know upped him, his wife, and their two kids, the oldest being about 10 at the time to move over seas to a different country to do mission work.

A girl I went to school with went to New Zealand for an internship.

A guy that I know has been to Asia multiple times because of his love of missions.

People do crazy things for God’s pleasure. But they are more concerned with putting a huge smile on his face than getting a pat on the back by a mere human. And yes, compared to God we are nothing. Yet when we follow his plans and do crazy things to please him, we gain meaning in our lives.

So I’m challenging you. Look back this week and see how you did something to make people happy as opposed to making God happy. Then try harder this next week to do all you can to seem absolutely crazy to others. And put a smile on God’s face. Serve him.