Passion

Jeremiah 18:11
“Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the LORD says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’

2 QUESTIONS: What do we spend our time doing? What do our actions or inabilities to act speak of our hearts? Last Sunday we heard a couple of great lessons on Passion. When I think of passion I often go back to the older times of Romeo and Juliet where two family enemies were so deeply passionately in love they would rather to die together than be forced to live apart. To me, there’s no better fictional picture of passion. We often think of passion just simply being a culmination of various extreme emotions such as love and hate. Whereas this idea is mostly true, for passion to be passion these emotions must be coupled with action.
Passion is defined as any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling. That being said I believe emotions are strong and powerful but only go skin deep. It’s when our emotions compel us into action that we truly experience passion, and this goes heart deep. Think about your first crush on the playground or in the classroom how you were willing to do anything to get their attention. Did that ever change with anyone you felt passionately about? So what are you passionate about? Are you passionately driven to serve your neighbor or just emotionally? Do you passionately engage in daily worship or just emotionally participate? God has called each of us into action, to do everything to the glory of Him.

The passage above has much to do with action. There are many consequences to wrong actions and many rewards to righteous actions. How many times throughout the bible have you seen God warn or condemn His people about their evil and wicked actions? A whole lot! Why? Because people were and still are passionate about things that are not of God, but are passionate about this “crooked and depraved generation.” And just because some of us don’t participate in all of today’s worldly pleasures doesn’t mean we are exempt from this discussion. The act of being idle and having not passion is a way which needs to be reformed.

“Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo-Romeo to Juliet. He basically says; ‘I will change who I am and never be my old self again, just call me yours and that’ll be all that matters. Your love will be my identity.’ Remember when you first said this to God? You bowed before the King of Kings and gave everything to him. You engaged in the act of baptism and you took off your old clothes and put on the new clean garments of Christ. Your passion for God couldn’t keep you away from Him. You gave Him your name, and put on love. You gave Him everything. After all, He gave us his Son, by far the most passionate act in all of mankind. ‘For God so loved… that he gave…that whoever believes…shall not perish but have eternal life.’ John 3:16