What is your PASSION?

What are you passionate about? It is fascinating to watch people to see what they put their whole heart and soul in. You name it. Everyone has a passion about something. It can range from some hobby to family to entertainment to sports to pets and on an on.

With some people their passion is also their obsession. If you were to take away their passion, they would lose their purpose and perhaps even their mind!

How many of you are passionate about God? If I were to ask you to eliminate all of what was important to you to only two things, what would they be? I really think if we were honest, that God wouldn’t probably be in the top two. Why? Because whatever you are passionate about, you spend time with, you value, you defend, you talk about… It is as it were that God is just held onto as insurance, or a fire escape, or just when we need Him.

Jesus had a passion. In fact, He spoke of it often. The last week of Jesus’ life is called the “Passion week.” Why? Because, it was what He lived for. You see that’s what we do, we live for our passions. If, for some reason they are taken away, we are left with no purpose.

Jesus’ passion was to demonstrate His love for humanity. His last week was filled with sharing the Father’s heart, assimilating God’s wisdom through teaching, healing, and maturing the relationships He had established over the course of His life and ministry. The climax of Jesus’ passion was His death on the cross which enabled man to have a relationship with God through Him. This IS Jesus’ passion. It cost Him His life! He was willing to give His life for the passion He so desperately believed in and lived for.

Passion can be expressed in different ways. The dictionary defines it as an intense driving or an ardent affection. The Scripture shares it this way:

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:13

“…Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…” - Hebrews 12:2b

This was what Jesus was looking forward to – the joy – the expressed love for mankind. It is what Luke shared in his gospel. He describes in Chapter 9 that the discussion between Moses and Elijah was His impending death in Jerusalem (9:30-31). In v. 51 Luke states, “…when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem…”

Most of what we are passionate about in this life will perish. What about the stuff of eternity?

What (or WHO) are you passionate about?

Pastor Cliff