A campus minister I know and admire, when he calls someone new onto his staff, gives them a plaque to hang on their apartment wall. It simply says, “You’re not crazy.”
When we live all-out for the Lord — and there is no other way to live — we will at times think, “I must be crazy. Nobody should have to live like this. Holy cow, this is costing me big-time. Can I sustain it? Is it worth it?”
And the world will whisper to us, “You’re crazy. You shouldn’t do this to yourself. Don’t you know stress is bad for you? And if you don’t have your health, what do you have? Nobody is listening to you, anyway. You’re throwing your life away, buddy — your one, unrepeatable, precious opportunity for happiness. Are you crazy?”
You’re not crazy. To stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, as very soon every one of us will, and to hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” is worth anything. But to hear him say, “Depart from me” — nothing is worth that.
This life is short, but it matters forever. And we have wonderful promises in the Bible, every one of which will prove entirely and gloriously true, promises of his presence now and his reward forever, promises which can hang like plaques on the walls of our minds every time we turn around, telling us this truth: “You’re not crazy. Go for it, baby. You’re not crazy at all. You are so smart to trust Jesus, lean on Jesus, obey Jesus, look to Jesus, live for Jesus, rejoice by faith in Jesus, promote the cause of Jesus. He’s a good boss to work for. He rewards well. You are so not crazy!”
