Passion is a very important thing in the life of a Christian. It is an essential ingredient in living out our faith with much results. After all, without a desire to do good works, we won't do any good work. And without work, our faith is dead.
Passionately Passionate
We who believe God must learn to passionately love the Lord our God more than anything else. Defined as "a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept," a passion for God simply means that we will choose to desire Him, want more of Him, and be devoted to Him with all that we are. We need to be passionately committed to loving God and doing His will.
A passion for God, however, needs to be cultivated and nurtured. Without care, our passion for God will get watered down, and soon we will find ourselves lacking in it.
Passion Killer
There are many things that can kill our passion for God, but trials and tests aren't included in the list. Christians who are truly passionate for God see trials as a means to experience His grace, hunger and lack as a means to identify with the sufferings of Christ, persecution as some sort of validation with regard to doing the will of God, and delayed answers to prayer as more reasons to pray harder.
Yup, people passionate for God will be more passionate when faced with trial.
By now, you must have realised that one of the most potent passion-for-God killers is comfort. Yes, comfort.
Comfort As A Passion-Killer
Comfort is a sly passion killer. While a little comfort is good depending on the situation, too much comfort cradles us and lulls us to sleep when we need to stay awake and alert. Too much comfort distorts our senses and vision.
Consider the church of Laodicea, which Jesus rebuked in Revelation 3:14-20. Jesus told the church,
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of My mouth. For you say, 'I am rich, and have stored up goods, and have need of nothing,' yet do not realize that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked." (Revelation 3:15-17 MEV)
Consider also King David, who was taking a rest at a time when he should be in action. 2 Samuel 11:1-4 tells us that David was very comfortable, and thus unguarded.
"In the spring of the year, the time when the kings go out to battle ... David remained in Jerusalem."
David stayed inside the deceitful chambers of comfort, and was unguarded. This led to his fall with Bathsheba.
Be Careful Not To Be Too Comfortable
Friends, we need to beware of the dangers of too much comfort. God is the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-5), but He is also the God who wants us to be passionate in loving Him.
Let us all learn to take care of our devotion to God. Let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling (see Philippians 2:12).
