You must be crazy

In September 2003, God took me out of Lagos Nigeria to
Atlanta in USA and said to me, “I brought you here to get your attention.” Nine years on, He still has me, but not pinned down where we started.

We’ve moved on to matters of eternal consequence that greatly
challenge my total being.

My life took a wild
turn from that day and I was labeled crazy
by some that felt I was making a great mistake, abandoning my career in Computer Science, with huge prospects in a place like America
for cross-cultural missions in war-torn Sudan.

I can’t blame them. Following Jesus never made sense. You
have to be crazy enough to follow Jesus to the end.

The first disciples of Jesus were totally insane. Though
some recovered from their insanity when He said, “For
My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.” John
6:53-66 We read there that many of the disciples left
Him and went away. For them, He took it too far.

Those that remained had reached the point of
no-return.

Else, how do you explain their continued devotion when
they heard Jesus say, “Indeed, it is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom
of God.” Bewildered, they promptly asked; “Who, then can be
saved?” Mark
10:25-28

I wonder if Peter heard Jesus’ response to their
anxiety before he lamented, “Lo, we have left all and have
followed You.” If I were there that day, I say to Peter, “You must be crazy.”

Peter’s fear
and concern are legitimate. Most of us don’t start-out crazy. Self preservation comes with humanness, but we catch the crazy virus as we take baby steps along the narrow path with Jesus. The
fathers of our faith nursed their individual fears as they followed in
obedience.

Every disciple is graciously
guided towards the narrow way where total abandonment is inevitable. It can be
a very frightful trip on account of the rejection, misunderstandings, uncertainties
and the share mystery choosing it portends.

Yet, therein is the
fullness of our existence pegged by the hands of a loving Father, who’s the All Mighty God.

“Journeys
open up our spirit to the possibility of a reality it hasn’t yet rasped. Away
from the familiar, our hearts become a place where God can work, a place where
only faith will sustain us. Even though our physical travels may not last a
year, the lessons we learn will continue to rend our hearts for years to come.
The journey is more than an escape from the things that have come to define us
in life – it’s a chance to break free from the shackles of an ordinary
existence.” – From Kingdom Journeys – Rediscovering The Lost
Spiritual Discipline by Seth Barnes

Once again, I hear
Jesus saying, “With men it is impossible, but not
with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Our life as we know it
and have it must be lived on God’s terms. The “with God” angle is the faith dimension, the only acceptable
way to relate with an All-Sufficient God.

If you finally got the
chance today to take a huge step, in faith, on account of God’s nudge in your
heart, what will it be?

It’s only in this “with God” arena that we begin
to dream and dare to live the impossible from season to season. The invitation
to craziness is served daily and the fruit are as sure as the promises
of God.

Who will be the primary
beneficiaries of your act of crazy obedience?

I dare you to be crazy, Mubarak was crazy.