Book Review: Crazy Love by Francis Chan

For at least a year I've heard lots of people talking about Francis Chan's great book, Crazy Love. It is a great book but it's not what I anticipated. A great non-fiction book for me is heavily underlined, quotable, and filled with prose that makes me think, "I've never thought about it that way."

Crazy Love was none of those things. It wasn't the earth-shattering book I expected. No underlines. No dog-eared pages. No "a-ha" moments.

Sounds like I didn't like it, huh? No, I did like it. In fact, I wish every Christ-follower would read it. Francis clearly and succinctly shared foundational things that every Christian needs to know and do. Jesus said simply, "If you love me, you'll obey me." Chan's book contends that true love for Jesus is displayed through obedience - sometimes in radical ways.

Too many American Christians are content to pray the sinner's prayer, get baptized, and show up for church a couple of times per month. That's not Christianity. It's lukewarmness. It's what Jesus said he would spew out of his mouth (see Revelation 3:15-18). Jesus said that others would recognize believers by their fruit. If you think the "fruit" of Christian living is listening to a few sermons a month, having a decent marriage, not cussing, and voting Republican, you've got it all wrong.

In Chan's words, "we live and plan like we don't believe God even exists. We try to set our lives up so everything will be fine even if God doesn't come through. But true faith means holding nothing back." Are you obedient in your daily journey with Christ? Are you totally devoted to Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Total devotion is not just for pastors and missionaries. It is for every one who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

I really encourage you to read Crazy Love. The more I think about it, the more I think I was wrong. It is earth-shattering. If every believer took Chan's words seriously (which, by the way, is that we should take GOD'S Word seriously), it would turn the world upside down.