We watched the movie National Treasure recently and this line stood out to me:
"Go one step short of crazy, what do you get?"
"Passionate."
"Passionate."
When you're passionate about something, you can't help but speak about it. Your passion is what drives you, what your life is centered around. Your passion is most likely whatever you spend the most time thinking and talking about.
In this world, it is considered acceptable to be passionate about many things.....sports, our work, our families, our own hobbies and interests. Yet when we are passionate about Jesus Christ, some may think we are crazy or even fools.
I listened to my husband lead devotions last night and he taught out of 2 Kings 6:5-7
This passage contains an amazing miracle. The sons of the prophets were cutting down trees by the Jordan and one man lost his ax head in the water. Not just any ax head but a borrowed one. Elisha asked him where it fell and the man knew the exact spot in the water. Elisha then cut off a stick, and threw it into the Jordan and the iron ax head floated to the top of the water where the man could retrieve it.
"But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.”
So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.
Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it."
My husband then began discussing the difference between being devoted to something and being passionate about something.
An example would be: kids that play several different sports may be devoted to one sport, but passionate about another.
The difference? If the child is devoted yet not passionate about baseball, he will show up to practice and games but his whole heart is not in it. He shows up because he is committed to his team.
That same child, however, is passionate about soccer. He gets dressed an hour early and practices in his yard before the game. He runs to the field every practice excited to learn more about the sport. He talks about soccer all the time, because he's always thinking about it. He's excited to play because he is passionate about playing soccer.
Many believers begin their journey with Christ filled with passion and fire, but often we lose that passion. We remain devoted to Him, but somewhere along the way we lost our passion. The man in 2 Kings 6 knew exactly where he lost the ax head, we too usually know where and when we lost our passion for Christ.
It is possible to go back to that place, allowing God to heal and mend our hearts and minds and pick our passion back up.
I remember watching a woman worship in the front of the church and she didn't care what people thought of her, she poured herself out to the Lord. The passion and fire inside of her was contagious, it affected everyone around her. She wasn't simply devoted, she was passionate! Passion points people to Christ!
If you've lost your passion for Christ, please know He has not lost His passion for you, and you can go back to that place of loss and pick it back up.
If we're going to be passionate about anything, may it be Christ alone.
Father, forgive us for our misplaced passions, for allowing other things to take Your place. Bind our hearts to Your heart and fill us with Your passion. The cross is a picture of your passion for us. Take us back to the place we lost our desire and passion for You that we may pick it up again. Break us away from everything that has distracted us hindering our walk with You. Thank you for Your endless mercy and compassion. May our passion for You drive us to be who You created us to be and to fulfill the callings You have placed on our lives.
Amen.
