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True passion comes from the heart and controls and directs our thoughts, our minds. It is in control of our motives, our actions, and our intentions. The heart, in and of itself, wants to give, to share. That is how God intended; that is how He created us. It is the center of our being; it is life itself. That is what makes it so important who we have given it to. If God is in control of our heart, good will come from it. If Satan is in control, it will be filled with evil and perversion. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:9-10). The evil heart is filled with all manner of pretension, all kinds of evil divisive plots. Intrigued with unrighteous actions, it considers itself only playful and not life threatening. Its intent is to attain those things that are self-centered, to gain what is wanton and egocentric. Having a good time or placing one’s self in a constant search of all that is pleasurable and gratifying, it wants only to gain what this world has to give. In truth, it is in subjection to the one who is in control: Satan. You are who you are, and you must be responsible for the one who God has created you to be. There is no escaping your personal responsibility; you are accountable for your own choices and actions. You will be rewarded or punished in compliance to your specific will. God has given you a choice; and, other than your soul, that ability to choose is the most precious things you possess.
Passion is the extreme emotion to experience, or to fee, or to act with enthusiasm or excitement. It can be directed to achieve or indulge in those things that are good as well as those things that are bad or evil. It is a fine line that will catch us either doing those things that are dependable and holy or rebellious and sinful. Its intent is to cause us to be found above the norm; and, in its forcefulness, it will bring about true fervor and zeal. In and of itself, it contains no negativity; but, however it is being applied, it will either bring us true blessing or take us to hell. Living abundantly requires certain qualities and motivations to exist before they can be administered, felt, or lived. Living your life to its fullest, or pushing everything to the max, is what we call passion or being passionate. As a Christian, I know that I cannot do anything that is of significant value without God’s divine assistance. It is He who gives me the desire and passion to do so, while Satan, in his evil presence, only wishes to destroy and condemn. Satan has no intention to be of assistance in a positive, uplifting way to a child of God or even to his own followers. His only intent is to corrupt and then to destroy. His ungodly passion is to see the total destruction of God’s kingdom; and, in his fervor, he considers everything to be, as we say today, fair game.
We will all receive the rewards for what we do here on earth; good for good, evil for evil. God deals in like kind. “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons” (Colossians 3:24-25). He will give you whatever you so desire; your true desire will become your true passion. “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4). In life, if we are to achieve all that we intend, we must become passionate and dedicated in seeing that it is accomplished. Being passionate about something does not always justify doing what you are passionate about. Passion does not give credibility; and, to continue in those things that are evil, does not and cannot justify such perversion. Passion is only the extender or the depth of your subjection; it can be either righteous or evil. Many people today feel that passion to any degree is ill-advised. Their beliefs become centralized, and they walk down the middle. They choose not to become affiliated or attached to any organization, idea, or form of idealism or belief. But without passion, life can be and, in most cases, will become, lifeless, dull, and without cause; in medical terms, straight-line or dead. To be passionate is not immoral, but our passion must be aligned in the right direction and to the proper recipient: God, not Satan.
We make that choice; God does not make it for us. God gives us the power and responsibility of choice. Satan, the enemy, does not allow us the ability to choose. His only intent is to deceive and destroy. He cannot take those things away that God has given us. If we forfeit them, it is our choice. We must also choose to surrender to what God has for our lives. If we do not, then we will be destroyed.
