Passion

A recent conversation with one much loved last night brought about the question of life and passion. This friend was adamant that there was absolutely nothing in all his 20-odd years that he enjoyed doing very much. Nothing inspired him, nothing catapulted him to excited action about anything. Almost nothing held lasting captivation for him. Steady and careful, he plodded along life's ups and downs, never fully reaching the depths of agony, never tasting the heights of exhilarating joy.

And yet how many of us who profess to know Christ do live like that? What paralyses us? A fear to discover there is nothing beyond what we already know of life? or that we have not known Christ as much as we'd like to believe, and live still to satisfy our bored selves? We sing in church choirs, we usher on Sundays, we are satisfied with our dues. We believe this is all God has for us, we are either glad He hasn't prodded for more, or we try to make do and believe this is life abundant.

A contentment with the counterfeit! Life abundant and lived to the full, indeed! Jesus has promised more!

Who, or what, are we here to know? Neither His ministry, nor the promise of purpose, meaning and joy. Both are a natural consequence of knowing Him. Our chief purpose must be to know Him.

Passion isn't emotion. True passion stems from knowing what gives life meaning. Passion then, cannot be divorced from Purpose. And Purpose fundamentally boils down to Identity. Identity derives first from faith in the Word, who He says we are, in relation to Him--The Father's heart, and how we were made to enjoy fellowship with Him. Our purpose then is to worship as living sacrifices, to be constantly in touch with Him, to be changed in His presence.

What does this mean exactly? Why then, do churches still engage in politics, and so many who have attended church for decades on end, report little change in their hearts? How is it that the evil desires of human nature are never replaced, or that the depravity of the darkened mind is so perpetually inescapable? How do we lead changed lives?

The Pharisees, Israel's greatest religious leaders, were those who supposedly knew most about God! Yet when God Himself walked among them, He said "You do not know me or my Father," and, "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." (John 8:19) So Christ makes a difference between knowing about Him, and knowing Him.

To understand conceptually that He knows your heart, is one thing. To have Him tell you what lies exactly in it, showing He knows you, is quite another. The former deceives us into thinking we know Him, in truth we know about Him. The latter is faith that bears fruit.

The reality of Jesus Christ changes us. The bible is no longer a dry book of laws and concepts, upheld by a distant judge who cared enough only to tell you so much. When humbled before Him, we realize it is no longer a book about us, and how we should live our lives as a list of must-dos, and don't-dos. It is about Christ, and what promise He has extended to us. Look, touch, and feel! His strength perfect when we are weak, His love when we have none, His power and glory testified to all, on account of our weakness. His love even in His discipline, His provision for all you need, the beauty of fellowship, ministry, growth into His likeness! How could you ever be bored, my friend? Are you tired? Surrender all you ever tried to live up to! Finally come to know who you truly are, not who you'd otherwise like to tell yourself you are! Watch Him scoop you into His arms, fill the gaps, witness the authority He holds over all dominion as you walk in faith! Alive! All of Acts is alive! Look, His all consuming fire!

The reality of Christ fuels true passion. To know the reality of Him anchors your very existence and its purpose in place. His love becomes real, hope is real. Our goal is complete, present, experiential knowledge of Christ, and in a real way, this is also the prize. We "press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus", because Christ is too vast to know perfectly. Yet the more we learn of Him, the greater our joy and reward!

Passionate endeavours, from the intellectual and artistic, to people-related fields, can only hold what they do for us, when they are opportunities for worship. And these beautiful things He's given us to experience Him through, come into their full worth, when they deepen our walk with Him.


My friends, have you held His hand?
Or sat next to Him for a close chat?
Have you let Him touch your rawest wounds, or your bitterness?
Told Him your fears about Him?
Have you let Him stretch out His hand to show you

the stars He's sprinkled across the heavens,
the sunset and sunrise He's made just for you?
Have you heart His whisper?

Have you known His heart?

Will you?