Passion: The Match That Lights Our Fire

“Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” Romans 12:11 (NLT) or I like what The Message says: “Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame”

What good is firewood without the match? What good is life without the passion that motivates it?

What is passion? “A strong feeling, a great devotion and intense conviction which fuels or motivates us toward compelling action.”

Fulfilling your purpose will require passion (zeal or enthusiasm). 'Purpose' has to do with our head – thinking right about why we're here and understanding our calling. 'Passion' has to do with our heart – the internal fire that motivates us and energizes us to fulfill our purpose and do God's will. God is the source of spiritual passion. The Holy Spirit comes to ignite us with holy fire.

In the world we live in, natural passion is often a key to success and impact. Knowing information is valuable, but possessing the fire is invaluable. Nothing major in history was ever accomplished without zeal. It is the deciding difference between successful and unsuccessful people in every field of endeavor. The fire on the inside affects everything on the outside. Someone wrote that: "Enthusiasm and persistence can make an average person superior; indifference and laziness can make a superior person average."

3 Truths About Passion:

• Nothing significant is ever done in life without passion.

• Most winners in life are just ex-losers who finally got passionate.

• The worst bankruptcy in the world is the person who has lost passion.

For the most part, much of America is really struggling to be passionate about life!

The results of a survey taken a few years ago, showed that 4 out of 5 Americans feel that they lack passion in their lives. That means only 20% of Americans woke up today saying, “Come on, let’s go for it!”

There was another survey of 13,000 people of people who used to go to church but no longer do. There were a number of questions in the survey, but one of the questions asked, “What would need to happen for you to return to church?” The number one answer was “See passion in the lives of the members and leaders.”

People want to see a fire, zeal, enthusiasm among Christians that makes going to church meaningful. This is what made Jesus ministry so affective! He lived passionately for others, and He died passionately for us! Remember the movie “The Passion of the Christ”? In Christ we see what real “passion” was and IS!

As Christians, passion is commanded of each of us. Let’s look at just a few scriptures that back this up:

Ecclesiastes 9:10 - “Whatever you do, do well.…”

John 10:10 - “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

Ephesians 6:6 - “…do the will of God with all your heart

Passion is not something that is static or that stays the same. A fire either spreads or burns out. The tendency of fire, if left by its self, is to go out. Passion works the same way. We need to work it, stir it and add to it.

There are many passion killers. A few common ones include complacency, difficult circumstances, maybe an unbalanced lifestyle. The result is 'apathy'. (Lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern. Also, mean indifference.) Apathy isn't a state of mind; it's a state of heart.

God knows the moment we lose our passion or zeal, we loose vision and perspective. Satan knows this too, and there is nothing he likes better than an apathetic Christian. One definition of lukewarmness is "serving God in such a way as to not offend the devil."

Guard the flame within you. This zeal of God is a consuming fire within you, you need to guard it ferociously, realizing it is the enemy's target. Protect your passion.

How do we ignite our passion or keep it burning? We can pray for passion and ask God to put his fire within us again. According to John the Baptist, Jesus desires to baptize us “with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Matt.3:11b). And this also is in Luke 3:16. And on the Day of Pentecost “what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit…..” (Acts 2:3-4a). We can do things that help us return to our 'first love' (Rev.2:4-5), including dealing positively with negative emotions that have settled into our spirit. We can activate our spiritual gifts (1 Tim.4:14-16) and serve wholeheartedly. “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Col.3:23). Sometimes we have to stir up this flame of passion within us. “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” (2 Tim.1:6). We can also associate with people of passion – people who encourage and inspire you (Heb.10:24-25).

We need to understand our purpose and then ask God to fill us with passion to pursue it. Focus our passion on fulfilling our purpose. Passionately love God, love people, change and grow, serve and reach out. We are to be a passionate people like our God. God desires passionate believers. God's mission for us is to be "fired up" followers of Jesus Christ.

Passionate Christianity is about living with a sense of urgency and passion. It's living with a vision and a dream to give our lives to; a kingdom to spend our life on; the God of heaven and earth to pursue and know intimately. God works through passionate people.

The sad part of this is – most of us think we can’t live out passion through life’s journey! Maybe you feel this way today – well let’s drop that thinking and begin develop a mindset that says, “I can live a passionate life for God!”

Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”

Instead of devoted passion for God, too many of us have diversified passion – a little passion here and a little passion there! Before long we are left with diluted passion.

Do you think you are passionate about God being in your life? Do you think you are passionate about the Bible?

If we are not passionate about God we need to see what was the event in life or who was the person or what else has stopped us from being passionate?

What really fires you up? What ministry do you really feel passionate about? Then devote your passion to what God has called you to and go for it!