People with a Passion
What’s your passion? What would you say that you are “passionate” about? For some it has to be their favorite physical exercise and sport – biking or running or swimming. For others it might be their favorite sports teams – the Vikings or the Packers, the Twins or the Brewers, the Timberwolves or the Bucks, the Gophers or the Badgers, the Wild or…that’s right, Wisconsin doesn’t have an NHL team. Anyway, there’s no doubt about it that people can be passionate about their sports teams. Others might be passionate about the great outdoors – fishing and hunting and camping. Or maybe they are passionate about their music and their food. Some are even passionate about shopping.
Such passion will cause people to do crazy things: don cheese heads or horned helmets with yellow pig-tails coming out the sides…maybe paint their entire body their favorite team colors…sit outside in sub zero weather in a frozen stadium or on a frozen lake…swim miles, bike over a hundred miles, and then polish the day off with a 24 mile run in a “fun” event they call an iron-man triathlon…spend countless hours in front of a computer agonizing over their fantasy team picks for the week…or the one I least understand, get up at 2am on Black Friday to fight maddening crowds for those incredible door buster sales. Passion can cause people to do some unusual things.
Everyone has their passions. As disciples and followers of Jesus Christ who know and implement the mission our Savior has given each of us: The Great Expectation – “Be faithful to me and my word,” The Great Commission – “Go and make disciples,” and The Great Command – “Love one another as I have loved you”…we too have some passions as we carry out our church’s vision To Know Christ And To Make Him Known:
· Our PASSION is to Gather Regularly to Know Christ.
· Our PASSION is to Clarify Truth from Error to Know Christ.
· Our PASSION is to Teach Kids to Know Christ
· Our PASSION is to Witness to the Unchurched that they might Know Christ.
· Our PASSION is to Benefit People as an expression of Knowing Christ.
A passion is a desire of the heart. And what makes us passionate in such a way is a Savior and His passion for us – a Savior who loved us sinners even when we were unlovable – a Savior who lived for us and died for us and gave His all to give us everything – forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven. That’s passion! And that is what instills passion in us! We love because He first loved us! That’s what turns God’s commandments from a “Have to” to a “Want to!” That what moves us to give the maximum instead of the minimum as we eagerly desire to thank, praise, worship, serve, and grow in this eternal relationship every day in every way. That’s what makes us want to use our talents to glorify our God in everything we think, say, and do; and love others as Christ loves them!
So what’s YOUR passion? My prayer is that your passion – your heart’s desire – will always be a lot more than the great outdoors or fitness or sports or music or shopping. May we always be a people with a passion…for Jesus Christ!
