Passion, the extreme emotion to experience or to feel 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 intent to be of assistance in a positive, uplifting way to a child of God or even to his own followers. The fact is he doesn’t have a decent bone in his body. 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 or 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 directed 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 ability 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 choose to surrender to what God has for our lives. If we do not, then we will be destroyed. True passion comes from the heart and is what controls or directs our thoughts, our minds. It is in control of our motive, our actions, and our intentions. The heart, in and of itself, wants to give, to share. That’s how God intended; that’s how He created us. It is the center of our being; it is life itself. That’s 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 selfish 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. As they say, you are known by and under the control of the company you keep. There are none, no matter how evil they are or how evil they become, who are not under the thumb of Satan; they are under his control and direction. You cannot become more evil or defiant than he. Likewise, you cannot become more loving or giving than your Heavenly Father. God and Satan are the two extremes; you cannot become God or His archenemy, 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 one of the most precious things you possess. Think for a moment. You have been given the right and opportunity to become whatever you want to be. In truth, circumstances do not make you what you are; you will choose to be the person that you become. Circumstances only serve to make you better or bitter. The amount of passion you choose to exhibit will determine your enthusiasm, your zeal. That is a choice you will have to make. Life might not be easy, but true determination and passion can take you anywhere you choose to go. I am by no means the man that I want to be, but these things I have determined. I will not let the difficulties and disappointments of life make me become angry or bitter. I will not let the world set the standard I am to follow. I will not be accountable to a worldly system that is destructive and corrupt. I will direct my passion in a way that is positive and spiritually profitable. Most people spend their valuable time in justifying their inappropriate actions and never really shoulder their personal responsibility for the decisions they make. Let’s face it. You are either right or you are wrong; you are either wise or you are foolish. If you choose to do what is right, no matter how difficult that choice was to make, you will be rewarded. If you choose to do what is wrong and justify your choice by saying you are entitled to it, you will be punished. The rewards and punishments in life do not always come when you are ready to receive them. They do not of necessity come when your choice is made. Be forewarned. Choices have consequences. They will set the path that you will follow. They will follow the path they have been constructed to take. That does not mean that they will take you to a place that you really want to go. It is; therefore, wise to determine your destination before your choice is made.
Life is what we choose to make of it. It is choosing those things that will make us who we decide to become. The truth of abundant living is knowing and dealing with reality. Limitations, realities, truths, falsehoods, and our ability to deal with circumstances, all determine the way we live. You cannot make a worthy choice without knowing all the ramifications of your decision. Education is vital. That is why we must study God’s Word.
The knowledge or education this world gives does not contain true wisdom, and accepting its instruction is sure to bring about destruction and death. Making decisions that are controlled by our selfish desire to obtain are misguided and can cause us unwanted remorse. Knowing all the facts, in most cases, will lead to an enlightened and profitable action or decision. When true knowledge is gained, the only way that we will loose its credibility is to refuse or disobey its wisdom and instruction. We must learn to give everything to God and depend upon His wisdom. Having God as our constant friend does contain immeasurable value and will prove to be our best comfort. God has told us that if we ask, we will receive. How do we ask anything from God without prayer? Should that passion in our heart and soul bring us to that point of wanting to be obedient, of wanting to commune with Him? How can we consider ourselves passionate and not experience those things that are truly uplifting? Prayer or talking to our heavenly Father should be one of those times in our lives where we become truly joyful. What can be more enriching than talking to God? He has said that He wants to give us the good gifts from heaven. If we receive anything from God, then we must gain it by intercessory prayer. It is said that many of the problems and difficulties that we have as individuals arise out of the lack of communication. Could it be that many of our spiritual problems or difficulties come from our lack of communication with God? How can you say that you know God’s true character and not feel passionate and obligated? How can you say that you know God and not want to meet with Him in continual prayer? Better still, how can you say that you love Him and never thank Him for His eternal goodness? Knowing God has ignited His fervor or passion in my heart, I am forever drawn to Him as I seek Him in my persistent prayer. To succeed, we must be motivated and informed; that is to say that we must know God’s will and then be willing to act upon it. Everything revolves around a center truth or established condition. God must be that truth. If He is not recognized and followed, then chaos will rule. There is no way to remove Him from His ruling position; He is in supreme power, and He will forever remain there. When we talk about absolute, everlasting, impervious, and indestructible, we speak of God. While being all these things, He is still compassionate, kind, and touchable; He knows and cares about our suffering (Philippians 2:7).
Governments today do not want their people to be passionate because people with a cause, are people who are hard or impossible to govern. Insurrections and uprisings begin with people who are passionate. True passions are, in the mind of the believer, a cause worth dying for. It is a notable fact that we cannot experience life to its fullest until we have come to the realization that there are causes worth dying for. It is a rule of thumb that if you wish to get people to follow, learn and espouse their passions. Since we have eradicated the idea that truth and honesty are values of importance, we, meaning society at large, are willing to compromise in order to obtain our objectives. That means that lying and cheating are only a means to an end and are to no longer be held as significant or prudent. The difficult part of this equation is convincing God to go along. It is somewhat astonishing how man has drifted so far to the left that he no longer has to be convinced that what is wrong is justifiable. His passions have become his destruction, and his willingness to repent is forever lost. The paths of morality and personal accountability have been so distorted that they are no longer thought applicable. Man has constructed this superhighway where anything goes and the faster the better. What to man is considered acceptable, to God is considered as sin; and He will judge every sinner and the sins that they have committed. If this were not an indisputable fact, then I suppose we could consider a different scenario. The passions of man have become so perverted and self-seeking, that he only chooses to accept those things that are self-centered and sensually gratifying. If we could convince God to look at our sins as indiscretions, then maybe we could justify our transgressions. The Bible says that God cannot look upon sin, and the fact that He is holy and is enraged by sin has an important consequence. Forgiveness is God’s way of, shall we say, setting things right, not just looking the other way while we sin or are making excuses for it. Everything in God’s universe has to be governed by laws and principles. These laws have been established by God Himself, and He will not violate any of them. He, being held to those principals, will not allow any of His creation to violate them and will command certain retribution when they are transgressed. God, being the supreme ruler of all creation, can choose to do whatever He so desires. The fact that He has chosen to create everything with a positive-negative characteristic is within His right and doing. It is not to be in question. It is God’s intention that when we ask for forgiveness, He will forgive. Consider the fact that He was willing to sacrifice His only Son to accomplish a way for our redemption. God’s unbridled passion took Him all the way to the cross. Jesus’ dying there gave us the way unto the Father. Why should we find it so difficult to ask forgiveness His way? He has promised to forgive. I would think that obtaining that forgiveness was much more important and desirable than the way that it must be obtained. Since it can only be obtained God’s way, then what is the problem, stubbornness and pride? All evil passion is void of redemptive qualities and will in no way afford us a way unto God. To be sent to hell because of insubordination and total defiance is not a wise compromise.
There is no rationale that could cause me to consider hell as a place of desirability. When you consider what God sacrificed to obtain your redemption, and you realize that without that sacrifice you cannot go to heaven to be with Him, I am sure that you will come to the conclusion that accepting Him as your personal Savior is both desirable and important. The love of God is intended to bring you to the cross and as He willingly died for your sins, He is now wanting and willing to save you. How much passion do you think God felt as He sent His only Son to die for His creation that He also ardently loved? God’s desire is love. His passion is to forgive. He will not send a repentant sinner to hell. As Jesus prayed in the garden to be spared the contempt and pain, do you not think that God was not sorrowful for what He had chosen to do? “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). God is not to be questioned, but do you not think if He could have spared His creation by any other means, He would have chosen to do so? How much could He have loved a Son who willingly did all that He asked of Him, a Son who did willingly die a cruel death to please His Father? God the Father and God the Son had the same agenda; they were all about love and the salvation of mankind. How much more should we, the recipients of that love, be thankful for His unspeakable gift? It is difficult for me to understand how anyone can not become emotional or excited when they are told about what God has done for them. Even if you are not willing to accept what He has offered, how do you not appreciate such deep compassion? To become emotional when things in life are not going your way, or to cry when you have been disappointed or scorned and not feel any passion for what God has given you must, for sure in life, be the deepest form of ingratitude. Do not think that what God has done does not apply to you or that you were not included in His thoughts or actions. God excluded no one, and you cannot be left out because of your thoughtlessness or callousness. The arrogance of man can not persuade God to forgive; it will only insure His righteous anger. What is there in life that can be considered worthy of dying with out Jesus as your personal Savior? We do not, out of a gesture of kindness or the passion to obtain by deceit, gain God’s eternal love or favor.
The ardent love of God existed before the creation of this world and it will remain throughout all eternity. It was never God’s intention that anyone die and go to Hell. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). True life can only be found in Him and without the promise of eternal life, we would all be hopelessly lost and condemned to Hell. To be convinced that this world is what living is all about, when life is so short and eternity is forever does not give cause to reason or is not to be considered rational. Wasting a life in evil passion does not show true wisdom and can never be compared to living abundantly. God has given everything so that we could have it all. It is positively pitiful when we, as thankless humanity, refuse to accept what cost Him so much to provide. God died, but the true loser is the one who rejects His wonderful gift. Thank You, Lord, for providing us a way into your wonderful presence. May the passion of our heart be forever wanting to give you honor and praise. May we be found worthy of all that you have given us.