Thursday, May 6, 2010

Totally Obsessed With God?

In the book, Chan says the following:


"Maybe life's pretty good for you right now. God has given you this good stuff so that you can show the world a person who enjoys blessings, but who is still totally obsessed with God." p. 44


Well, now...that would be really great...if it were only true. For me, and I will only speak for myself, my life is really good. I have a roof over my head. My family is healthy. There is food on my table. But, when I compare the life I live, especially to those of the children I met in Nicaragua, I am nothing but ashamed. Ashamed of what I have, how I live...and how much I take the blessings of God for granted. But, most of all, ashamed to admit that I am not totally obsessed with God.


So, this prompts the question: What does it look like to be totally obsessed with God. I have to laugh because this question makes me think of my eldest child. She's one of those kids that doesn't drop anything. For instance, a few weeks ago, we watched the movie Lord of the Rings as a family. Afterwards, she ran upstairs and got the book off of her shelf, incessantly skimming the pages until bedtime. The next morning, all she could talk about was the movie, asking us endless questions about the trilogy. Finally, I had reached my level of tolerance and very calmly placed my hand on hers. I looked at her as sternly as I could...which wasn't very menacing because I could barely contain my laughter...and said, "Stop...obsessing." Her quizzical look indicated that she had absolutely no understanding of what I just said. So, my husband, trying not to undermine my unraveling authority with his laughter, said, "All you have done is eat, sleep and breathe Lord of the Rings. You need to take a break." She didn't understand the "eat, sleep and breathe" reference, which she asked me to explain later, but she did understand the word "break" and, thankfully, she took one.


So, I'm left wondering if my husband's interpretation is accurate...and if it is, how would it look to be obsessed with God?


There isn't just one answer for this...there are as many answers as there are people. For each of us, the first step is to think about a time when we have been obsessed over something...a situation in our lives, a new child, a new love...something that was impossible to "eat, sleep and breathe" without. What is it like to obsess about something to the point that we can't breathe without thinking of it...really try to sink your teeth into that. It might be unrealistic, but I'm willing to bet that each of us have experienced that level of obsession for something, at one point in our lives, even if it was for a fleeting moment.




THE PUSH




You already know what the assignment is: Think about a time in your life when you obsessed about something...good or bad. How much time did you spend thinking about your obsession? Now, try thinking about God that much. Give yourself a limit, if that helps. Start with 10 or 15 minutes...don't talk to Him....just think about Him. Take a walk outside if you can. There are hundreds of ways to marvel at God but, sometimes, it helps when you're surrounded by His creation!




His Faithful Servant~
Deirdre






No comments:

Post a Comment