Positioning for Passion

Passion.  When you read that word what first comes to mind? That passion or zeal we have that compels us – makes us –forces us to places of the heart that we HAVE to have more!   Does our desire for more include more of … GOD?   More of His word.  More time spent in His presence.  Passion is our response to being completely, utterly, astonishingly captivated by Him.

A while back, I had a gal express that she was amazed at my passion for God and His word and compared it to (I will summarize what I heard) her lack of desire, discipline and delight in her relationship with God.  Instead of those three, she found herself basically surviving in the doldrums found in duty of relationship.  I’ve been there – done THAT! (Still do at times).

I would offer, if we lack passion – ASK FOR IT!   God will “give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Then we seek discipline.  We are putting feet to our desire.  We want more, so now we are going to position ourselves for just that.  If we want more of His word, then we set aside time to read His word, study it and think on it, most importantly, have the word–study us. It is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12).  God’s word is designed to be engaged.  This takes discipline.   This is the practical side of positioning.

We may need to address our alarm clock issue, so we can get up just a few minutes earlier.   Or remove the other books on the nightstand and place only one Book there.   Ask the Lord to show us creative ways to make way, make room for reading, talking and listening.

When Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). He is saying our all is with completeness – no holding out!   There is no dividing up our love, like a pie graph. We draw out a slice for this and for that and what is left is God stuff –God’s slice. No, He gets the whole pie.

Desire, discipline and delight for me, it paints a picture of getting in line, like that at the store. Our desire takes us to the line.   We want the prize that is offered at the head of the line.  Discipline keeps us in the line.  We may be distracted by those walking by with other stuff, but we REALLY want what this line has to offer – so we stay.   Delight is getting to the head of the line and so overwhelmed with the prize (JESUS!) that we RUN and again get back in line for MORE.  THAT, to me is PASSION!  The progression of passion: Desire, discipline, delight. May we find ourselves always in the line and always running back for more–of GOD!

It is up to US to take our relationship with the Lord seriously.    Any relationship must be cultivated.  Bible scholar and good godly guy, Charles Spurgeon said “To delight in God is as much a privilege as a duty.”  Both delight and duty (a task or action required for responsibility) are part of knowing, loving and serving God.

Passion.

In Him, DeDe (“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love & good deeds” – Hebrews 10:24).