Passion is such a wonderful thing to have, isn’t it?
Having a sense of vibrancy and engagement about our days is what it means to be alive. We get to live, breathe, love, work, and create. Every day is another opportunity to do something great.
We are passionate about many things, but what does it mean to really have a passion…for God?
Without a doubt, that’s the most important passion in our lives. It’s a foundational passion that needs to drive and sustain all the others. Matter of fact, our passion for God shouldn’t be in the same league as passion we have for other things.
How is our passion for Jesus different than other passions? How is it peculiar and how do we keep it that way?
I’ve been thinking about this as it relates to my life and ministry. I love Jesus, without a doubt. I have a passion for the glory of God.
But…
- I really love music.
- I have a passion for my family.
- I enjoy business and creating value in the marketplace.
- Those close to me know I have a slightly unhealthy passion for coffee.
- I have a passion for doing ministry.
Having a lot of passions is a good thing. I think it speaks to having an interesting life. You’re not just going through the motions, trying to fit in. You want to pull all you can out of your everyday.
But this kind of scares me too.
Forgetting God
It’s entirely possible that I can spend my days passionate about many good things and forget about my passion for God. The irony is thick.
I can have a passion for worship but not worship God.
I can have a passion for ministry but not Jesus.
I can have a passion for writing songs about God, but not be encountering God in my daily life.
I can have a passion for writing this blog post, impressing you with my insight but have no true, deep, lasting affection for what I’m saying. You would have no idea and I could be a total fake.
A Call to Re-Center Your Life
So this blog post is a call to come back – to return to the main thing. It’s nothing new. I’ve written on this topic before. But if feels fresh to me.
I don’t want to build my life on a faulty foundation.
I don’t want to spend my life talking about the cross but not kneeling in its shadow.
I don’t want to spend my life writing about the empty tomb, but not weep at its reality in my daily life.
So what does it mean to have a passion for God? How does one stoke that flame on a daily basis?
More specifically, how can we worship leaders make sure Jesus is truly at the center and we’re not just hiding behind false idols?
How Passion Grows
If I’ve learned anything about this, I realize it can’t be forced. You can’t force a passion for something. It’s a miracle. My worldly heart won’t naturally have a passion for Jesus. I would never willingly take up my cross and follow. Losing my life in order to find it isn’t on my todo list.
But when Christ opens my blind eyes, I see differently. My heart comes alive.
The human heart is weak. I need awakened to the reality of the Gospel every day.
Here are 3 ways I’m fighting this battle every day – how I’m contending for a genuine passion for Jesus.
1. Pray – I need the miracle of God’s grace at work in my heart every day. I need the Spirit to open my eyes that I might see wonderful things in the Word. I won’t naturally see that. I need God to light a fire in my heart. That’s why I need to pray with desperation every single day. Make this part of your daily routine: praying for your distracted heart to be centered on Christ.
2. Create Habits – We are what we repeatedly do…isn’t that what Aristotle said? If I want to be passionate for God I need to physically do that – do things that stoke the flame of passion in my heart for God. Seeking God when you feel like it is overrated. Set up daily habits where you interact with God’s word, read inspiring books, sing worship songs, and learn new things. It will keep you consistent and sharp.
3. Set Up Strategic Influence – Passions are developed by influence. We are all influenced by others. We buy what our friends recommend. We invest in things that others have told us are cool, useful, or amazing. Why do you wear skinny jeans, have an iPhone, listen to Sufjan Stevens, and eat sushi? You were influenced. What if you approached spiritual influence more strategically? What would that look like? Who is influencing you today?
What about you? How are you maintaining a passion for God and not just His gifts? How are you keeping your life centered on what is most important?
Let’s dialogue in the comments. Your comments not only help you process what you’ve just read, but they encourage others also. It’s just better that way.
[ois skin=”Beyond Sunday 2″]
Wow, were there ever some passionate performers on the Stevie Wonder program last night. Each musician, fueled by the music, words and other musicians–not to mention Stevie sitting in the audience with thousands of “into-it” people behind him…
It was quite a show. Then Stevie comes on at the end with some passion of his own.
And he caps it off by unashamedly telling the watching world that “My God teaches me to love people.”
Passion–Pathos–Extreme Affection–Inordinate Affection–Suffering–Lust
Romans 1:26, 7:5; Colossians 3:5; Acts 14:15; James 5:17,
“Passionate” denotes emotions and events in the scripture that are challenging at best for the applications of the word as we use it today.
This reminds me of young men. (and some old)
We can become passionate (lust-full) and “in love” with that young lady. (or old)
But many times, we are not so much in love with that person as we are with the feeling we have about ourselves when we are with that person. Nothing wrong with that–its just not completely mature yet, and such immaturity will keep any relationship potential one-sided.
How easy it is to confuse the wide range of emotions we feel while performing on stage, (connected to our instruments, locking in with other musicians, tight harmonies, audience into-it and us) with what God is trying to do absent of our “passion”.
Biblically, He is trying to kill our passions.
“Don’t be a slave of your passions, or live like people who don’t know God.” (I Thessalonians 4:5)
What I hear this article, “Honest Confessions”, saying is–We can be more in love–lustful–passionate–about the way we feel about ourselves when we are playing music in the name of Worship than the object of our love Himself.
And we can do it repeatedly, over and over because it feels so good. But it also gets old because God wants our love–not distorted passions filled with convoluted ambitions so necessary to musical performances. It is lop-sided love.
Long story short. Do the concert. Call it a concert. Live the concert. Passion the concert.
Even find worship within the concert for yourself as you can. There is nothing wrong with having a concert. It needs no justification except when we foolishly guilt ourselves for putting one on. Calling it “worship”, however, will not make such guilt go away. Now we must pretend and then feel guilty about that too.
So when it is time for corporate worship; (not when its time for the sermon) Finish the concert: Turn on the lights–see one another’s eyes–turn down the music, if not turn it off. Step aside, away from the center spot light where belongs the Word of God–get out of the way–Let God be God. Pray, be still, listen, and practice this verse:
“My friends, when you meet to worship, you must do everything for the good of everyone there.” (I Corinthians 14:26)
Worship is not our passions, it is His glory and holiness. We unashamedly steal His glory away with our self-gratifying performances/concerts that we habitually insist on calling Worship. Why? Because we are yet fleshly–worldly–if not deceptive, and we prize our need for passion over truth.
Great post, love the topic. My wife and I have been talking about what “Kingdom Love” looks like – we had the opportunity to speak to a collage group last Sunday in a neighboring state about Kingdom Love and worship. I think for me personally – I’ve recently asked God to stir in me, and lead my steps, phone calls, personal interactions – and when I ask Him for opportunities to live our Roman 12:1 – he provides ways to show tangible love to others. I have – once again – found the importance of showing tangible love or “Kingdom Love” to others off the platform. It’s hard, messy, time consuming, and unsettling at times – but it’s the living sacrifice we (I) must do more than leading a group of people in songs / worship (as much as I enjoy corporate worship ). *sorry for the sermon
Always love the posts, David.
When I feel my passion for the Father fading, I look back. I remember who I was and where I came from. I trace His hand of faithfulness throughout my life. I remember how He delivered me from storms (many of my own creation but still He was faithful) and how His grace worked Miracles (literally). In my life. I see how His leading brought me to where I am right now. When I remember I am thankful and when I am thankful, my passion grows.