Francis Chan has written several books, with his first and most popular being Crazy Love. I really liked it, so I was excited to pick up his next book, Forgotten God. I don't know if it was when I read it or what, but Forgotten God just didn't hook me like Crazy Love did. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading this book, I just wasn't as captivated by it.
I think a big reason some people aren't a huge fan of Chan's writing is that he asks a lot of questions to get you to think, and then tells you to put the book down and think about it. It's good, but different than most other writers. I enjoy getting the tough questions thrown at me. Instead of just speed reading through a book, it's good to get reminded to stop and think about what you're reading. Ok, enough about style and whatnot, time for content.
The full title is Forgotten God: reversing our tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit. In case you were wondering, the forgotten God he's talking about is the Holy Spirit. Right from the beginning, Chan points out that we have come to neglect the Holy Spirit, and by we I mean the church as a whole. There are people who are completely in tune with the Holy Spirit, but for the most part the church has neglected it.
The Holy Spirit was sent by God to dwell in us. Sweet right? Well not only that, but He also IS God. That means we have the God of the universe dwelling inside of us. When I see that truth, I ask myself why I ever have doubt as to what God can do through me. It also is a good reminder of Philippians 4:13, which says:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Next, Chan gives some reasons why there may be neglect for the Holy Spirit, the biggest being fear. What if He doesn't come through? I don't want to lose my faith in Him. Maybe we should pray for His promises and not that new car we want. Here's a good quote:
It really comes down to trust. Do you trust God that when He says no or "not in this way" to you, you still believe He is good and doing what is best?
On the flip side, are we fearful of what He WILL do if we ask for the Holy Spirit? I've touched on this before, but it requires complete sacrifice because God can and will ask you for anything and everything. This process will not be easy or painless, but it will allow God to make you into the person you were created to be. I really like how Chan uses a Narnia reference to this, specifically the transformation of Eustace from dragon back to boy.
For those of you who have never read the Chronicles of Narnia, I strongly encourage you to read them. They are a great image of Jesus in a fantasy novel. But this scene is a boy who became a dragon and tries to peel his skin off to become a boy again, but he is unable (he's trying to do it by his own strength). Then Aslan comes (the Christ figure in the book) and tells the boy that He can do it for him, but it will hurt. The lion (Aslan is a lion) then uses his claws to cut deep into the dragon in order to shed his "sinful" outer skin and become a boy again. It is an extremely painful process (getting your skin ripped off can't be enjoyable) but it makes the boy what he's supposed to be--a boy--and it is done only through the power of Christ.
I got reminded of this quote from Forgotten God off a friend's blog. It's choice (both her blog and this quote).
What if you could hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and He asked you to literally give everything you owned…I don’t know about you, but that challenges me like crazy. I say I want to give it all to God, to truly submit myself to the leading of the Holy Spirit. But I won’t lie; sometimes the reality of what that means leaves me wanting to hold back a little. These are the things on this earth that I really enjoy, like surfing, golfing, eating out, and laughing with friends. I know what you’re thinking: that those things are not sinful. And you are right. But that doesn’t mean the Spirit will not lead me to forgo those things occasionally or maybe even permanently for His purposes and the glory of the Father.
While that is semi-terrifying, it's also good to remember that God never means to torture us. Instead, He is always doing it for our good, even if we can't see it at the time. And just to clarify, I can say that like I would be fine if God told me to give everything up for Him, but I wouldn't be. It would be a huge challenge for me, but that's why I'm imperfect and God is perfect. That's why my dragon claws won't cleanse me, but his claws will. It may hurt, but it is so much better after.
Next Chan talks about pursuing this relationship with the right heart. Do you want to perform miracles or gain attention for yourself? Or do you want to use the Holy Spirit like a magic wand and use it when you need it, not when God wants to work? These are all questions you must work through and make sure that the passion for the Holy Spirit is genuine. I know that last question gets me sometimes. There are definitely times I forget that the Holy Spirit is God just as much as God is, and that He dwells in me. Who am I to tell God when to do work?
On the other hand, when we are desiring a real relationship with the Holy Spirit, distractions may come. Two that Chan brings up are comfort and volume. I have been learning a lot lately that Christ comes through the most when He's a necessity. It's easy to forget about Him when I have a car, plenty of money, and a bed pretty much anywhere I go. What would happen if I was held hostage for sharing my faith? Would I trust in the Lord or just freak out?
Also, our lives have become a multitasking machine. Like Chan says, it's difficult to focus on one thing or one person at a time. This has in turn affected our relationship with Christ because we can't just spend time with the Lord without our computers open, cell phones at our side, friends yelling down the hall (at least in my house). I encourage you to spend your next quiet time with no distractions. Turn the cell phone off, close your computer, and find a quiet place to be with the Lord. I know it makes my quiet times better when I remove all the distractions.
This idea came up in My Utmost for His Highest a few days ago. Chambers says:
Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child--a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows.
I love how God connects everything you're learning about Him. Isn't He awesome?
The last point I want to make from this book is the idea of God's will for you life. It is often people's excuse that they are "waiting to hear God's will for their lives." I know I used to do this often, and I still do. It's easy to worry about the future and ask God to show you His will. But remember, He also says not to worry about tomorrow in Luke 12:22-34. I like how Chan says not to ask for God's will for 10 years from now, or a year, or even next month. Instead, ask how you can serve Him now. That's a scary though, I know. I'm a total planner so not having my life planned out is a little scary. But I know that God has a great plan for me, and He will reveal it to me when the time is right. For instance, I am planning (God willing) on going on the World Race after I graduate. After that, I have absolutely no plans because I figure if I make them, there's a good chance God will change them. Why worry?
I like this book, and like pretty much every other book I talk about, I encourage you to read it. I'll let you be the judge on his style, but don't let that distract you from what he's saying about the Holy Spirit. There are some great nuggets in this book. And in true Francis Chan style, I'll close with this: I encourage you to stop and think about who the Holy Spirit is to you. Is He your magic wand or is He your supernatural counselor? Are you willing to lay down your life for Him? Close your computer, turn off your cell phone, and spend some time reflecting about all of this with the Lord.
In a completely unrelated side-note, I read this quote in this book and knew I needed to share it. You'll know why....
It is truly awesome (I try not to overuse that term, but believe it fits here) when a miracle takes place--when you experience something that couldn't happen by natural means.
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