The Obsessed: Part 1

On a run yesterday, my songs were shuffling and

 "Why You So Obsessed with Me?" by Mariah Carey came on.

Did you know she's actually talking to a specific person in the song?

Who, might you ask?

Eminem.

Yes.
Mariah Carey is attempting to bash Eminem for liking her too much.

Personally, 
I think she's the crazy one.

I wouldn't mess with Eminem with pepper spray and frying pan in hand.

He's scary.

And a lyrical genius.

Naturally, he retaliated with a song, The Warning, which very nondiscretly rips Mariah apart. 

So Eminem and Mariah were in a fight about who was more obsessed with the other.
That's cool.

Naturally, I thought this was a perfect intro to my devotional this morning...

Being Obsessed with God.

Disclaimer: God will not retaliate or be upset by your obsession.

He will not stick a hymn in the bible telling the world you are a madman.

In Crazy Love, Francis Chan describes the profile of the Obsessed.

Who are they?

Lovers

Risk Takers

Friends of all.

I'll talk about "Lovers" today.

LOVERS

Sometimes I encounter a really friendly person and assume they are Christian.

False.

Some of the friendliest people I have met aren't believers at all.

Some are even friendlier than strong believers I know.

"Friendliness and politeness" don't make you a Lover. 

No,what makes us a lover of Christ is when we are obsessed with loving and investing ourselves in everyone.
All His people.

Why?
Simple.
Because we have recognized God's love for us and know it is good.
Therefore, we must become lovers who desire showing others the same love
our Father shows us. 

So who does everyone really include, God?
Because there is this one girl, this one guy, this one teacher, this one adult...
who I really just can't.

Everyone is not limited to people you want to love.

Everyone is not limited to those who will repay you back.

Everyone includes your enemies,

those who do you wrong,

those who don't give back,

those who you may never see again.

Everyone includes that one girl.
The girl whose sins against me I've counted,
who I have gossiped about with my friends
who I have cast out because I felt righteous...

God doesn't count all my sins (thank you Jesus).
So why do I think it is right to count hers?
God doesn't complain about my faults to all the angels.
So why do I think I can talk about hers?

Maybe instead of the time I spend counting & gossiping, I could be...idk...more loving?

So we can't just love the people we want to love?
who treat us nicely?
who love us back?

No, because that would be ridiculously easy.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?...love your enemies, do good to them and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful"

-Luke 6:32-36

Did you hear that?

God is loving us when we are wicked.

God is merciful when we are ungrateful.

So why don't we do the same?

And since when does loving people feel like a burden?
When has it really reallyyyy hurt you to do it?
Made you feel bad?
Made you regret?
Think about it.
It doesn't.

Being mean, 
loathing, 
gossiping, 
ignoring,
 ripping apart people...
Those are the things that hurt us in the end.
Those are things that slowly knot our heart in uncomfortable ways,
the things that result in regret.

I've never looked back on a conversation and thought,
"Wow, I really am so glad I brought that girl down today with my friends!!!"

I bet you for a time, even Mariah and Eminem felt an ounce of grief for their actions.

When I began a relationship with God,
He really deep-set it in my heart to end the crap I commit against my peers.
To stop all the mad gossiping.
To stop the ignorance of my self-righteousness.
And to start replacing it with intentional love.

Am I perfect at this?
No.
Am I better at this?
Slowly but steadily...yes.

And when I make the right choice,
between a day of hate and love,
I know how I will feel.

I will be happier,
more satisfied with the day,
and I will feel more love for myself as a result.

The weight of hate will be lifted off my shoulders.

Hate is heavy.
You may not realize it now,
but it can truly weight you down,

Loving everyone may not seem easy,
but I can assure you it is light.

Smiling, 
investing,
 listening, 
lifting up, 
and comforting those around you
 Unties all the hate-created knots of your own heart.

And this love is an infinite thing.

You don't have some limited amount that must be rationed to a select few.

You can spread it around. 

I've been dying to do one of those intense, incredible faith-based analogies they give in church to compare a sermon to everyday life...
Therefore...prepare yourselves.

Your life (including the people in it) is a piece of toast.

Your love is peanut butter.

Don't spread it on just half of the bread?

Then the other half is plain, stale and unappetizing.

Spread it everywhere on it.

That's a more satisfying piece of toast (life).