Passion. I see that word a lot as I read various books and articles related to my duties as a pastor. I hear it even more during the course of normal conversation, and I’ve noticed that it’s a term that is largely misunderstood.
Typically, when the word comes up in conversation, it’s usually in reference to someone’s love life. People will say, “He’s caught up in the throes of passion” or, “She’s passionately in love with him.” And what they’re suggesting is that the dating relationship between the two people involved is an intense one. Of course, that is a proper use of the word passion, but it’s not limited to just our romantic pursuits.
Occasionally I’ll hear someone say, “God is his passion” or “Gardening is her passion.” In those instances, the idea being communicated is that the person they’re talking about really likes a certain activity, whatever that might be.
Certain writers in Christian circles will talk about the importance of using your spiritual gifts in conjunction with your passion to accomplish your God-given purpose. Again, it’s a reference to those ideas or activities you feel strongly about.
It’s true that the word passion carries with it the connotation of intense strong feelings. But there’s more to it than that. If you’re passionate about something or someone there’s a sense in which your emotions are involved. You’re filled with excitement and enthusiasm, and this creates a deep sense of devotion to the someone or something you feel so strongly about. Your emotions are so overwhelming and your feelings run so deep that you almost feel compelled to take some sort of action, whatever that might be, to express the emotions swirling around inside you. It’s a compulsion. It’s a feeling so irresistible the you sometimes act without thinking about the consequences. That’s passion.
I find it interesting that this word is rarely used in connection with our Christian faith. If we are to be passionate about anything, it is our relationship with Christ. Jesus indicated that our relationship with God ought to mean everything to us. He said, “Love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” In other words, he was saying, “Love God with everything you’ve got. Let him be the overriding passion in your life.”
Yet all too often we relegate our relationship with God to a tiny corner of our life. We give him a few minutes here and there and an hour on Sunday – if we can spare the time. There’s no excitement about what God is doing in our lives, no sense of enthusiasm. We merely acknowledge his presence and hope that will be enough.
Well…it’s not. God is looking for sold-our followers who are completely devoted to him and to advancing his cause in this world. So, let me as you – are you the kind of man or woman he’s looking for? Are you passionate about your relationship with Christ…?
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