Wednesday's Word - Lighten Up, Francis

Can people tell when you’re high? Yep, I went there. I played the dramatic card by asking a provocative question to capture your interest and lay a foundation for what I’m trying to say. But really, if I’d started off with asking, “Can people tell when you’re low?”….you get the picture, but not as sensational right? Over the years, I’ve put the spotlight on a few people who I’ve admired: Spurgeon, Tozer & Liddell. Now I’d like to introduce Francis Chan. If you’ve never heard of him, here’s a brief intro. He’s a former church pastor who’s also written a couple of books, the most popular entitled “Crazy Love”. Still unfamiliar? Google him and watch a couple of his Youtube videos. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. However you get to know Francis, you’ll realize that one of the biggest things about him is that he’s driven to go higher. “Is this really what serving Christ is about?” and “Can I do more?” seems to be his mantras.
He and his family sold their house and are currently working with Life Impact International in Thailand til the end of the year. He doesn’t know what he and his family of six will do next. I can imagine people (even good Christian folk) asking… Are you high? And his answer being “Not yet, but I’m well on my way.”

Here’s the Word

Philippians 3:13 – 14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (14) I press toward the mark for the prize for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1 talks about laying aside weights and sin. Know what I notice in that? some of the weights aren’t sins at all. It seems possible that comforts and pleasures (some might even call them blessings) – even those things that we’ve worked hard for can make us too heavy to get high to where our calling is. And as always, I don’t imagine that we all have to do what Francis has done, but in light of his provocative example, I hope we’d be moved to lighten up, and go higher.

In Him,
Cros