Killer Passion

Have you ever believed something so completely, so deeply, that it consumed you?

Of course you have, it is how we humans are wired. We believe we love that person and they are THE ONE, so we devote all of our effort and all of our life to proving that to them. We believe strongly in a cause, and we become it's loudest champion. We will argue strongly with someone who doesn't agree with our belief. We seek new ways to explore our belief, no matter the cost.

This is passion.

We all want it, but few of us have it. Maybe it's because passion is a delicate flower- easily trampled to pieces under the heavy feet of cynicism and doubt. Maybe it is because passion can divide us from others- passionate people often become leaders and leaders are in front, and feel alone. Passion has a way of looking like obessession, even an addiction, and this is not acceptable behavior.

Passion makes us do weird things, like step out of our comfort zone, do something dangerous and risky, be willing to fail. Passion will either turn you into a lighthouse or a lightning rod.

Passionis really a vision. It's this idea, this thought, this whisper of a hope that causes us to wake up and live differently. I've been passionate about things. I've been passionate about politics and God, passionate about movies and television, passionate about Aggie football, and passionate about my wife. My pursuit of these things often lead me to be consumed by the things- as passion is apt to do. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with being consumed by something good- like God or family- but the dangerous thing about passion is that it will kill you.

See, long ago, one of the primary definitions for passion was the suffering of Christ on the Cross. His pursuit of our redemption was painful and cost Him His life. Passion was, and is, deadly. So it pays to be careful about what you are passionate about.

Are you willing to die for your family? That's a good passion. Willing to die for your favorite sports team? Probably not. Willing to die for your country? Not a bad one. Willing to die for the latest release from Apple? Ehhh, no. Willing to die for God? It was good enough for Jesus...

It's one thing to be willing to literally give your life, but what about a more spiritual application? Are you willing to die to all other desires that lie outside of Christ? I'm not saying you can't enjoy a good movie or LOVE your favorite team or even that you shouldn't be passionate about your family. I am saying that you should be passionate about those things in the light of your passion for Christ. I can love my wife with my own eyes, and heart, and thoughts- and I do it imperfectly. My passion is lesser. But if I love her through the eyes, heart and thoughts of Jesus, that passion is perfected. Focusing our energy on Him first, and doing and loving all things through Him will change us.

In fact, it will kill us. Our passion will be that we die to lesser desires. When we devote ourselves, give ourselves in a sacrificial way to Him, He will in turn give us worthwhile passions. Reasons to live fully, and a cause worth dying for.

Are we willing to give our lives as we want to live them to Him? Can I die to what I want more than Jesus? If I can't, am I at all passionate about Christ?

I want to be consumed by Him, so that none of me remains. May that be our passion.