So, the question comes within our Christian walk, “Wherein lies your passion?” Is there anything that you see as being so important that everything else pales in comparison? Some would say their spouse or their children are the most important. Some people feel success or position in life is the most important thing. Even at that, often people may think themselves passionate about something only to later find it unimportant—hence divorce, child neglect, and poor work ethics still run rampant in our society. Often in our Christian walk we are rather lackadaisical about our Christian life. We run hot and cold all too often with no true zeal or passion. We lose focus on our goal. Our Bible lays neatly tucked next to our bed and comes out only to accompany us to church on Sunday. Such a precious gift of His Word so that we might come to know Him better by reading and studying it; yet, it frequently lays unopened while we retire to watch TV in the evening or a movie. Could we say, “I count all things loss, for the Excellency of knowing HIM”? After all if TV, Family, the internet, and the phone prevent us from even opening His word would we rather say, “I count Christ loss for the Excellency of knowing and having all this stuff? What are we passionate for? We too often go to prayer and reading the Bible only when there is a crisis in life or when we want things to go a different way. We fall to our knees in prayer and weeping, “Oh, God, please change these circumstances. God where are you? Why did you let me get sick? Why did I lose my job?” But when life is going along ok; did you ever just sit down and talk to Christ Jesus, your best brother and friend? Do you ever look into the sky and just laugh because of the beauty and share that laughter with God? Have you ever gone to work and can’t wait to get home to see the next sermon in a series, hands perspiring with the anticipation? Through the day do you hear gospel love songs for God running through your head, as you joyfully go about the tasks of your day? I need to get you awake on this one. Does your heart beat with excitement when you hear a song of worship and praise?
Paul had learned that nothing, absolutely nothing was as important in life as to know Christ Jesus intimately, intensely filling ever crevice of our hearts, minds and souls. He also understood that sometimes we walk through pain or suffering so that we might share in His suffering and grow even deeper IN LOVE with this Blameless Lamb who despite being the powerful Lion of Judah, laid down His Life that we might know Him. What greater love is there than the unconditional, sacrificial love He has for us. His Glory, His Majesty compels our very heart and souls to praise Him. His overwhelming love for me reaches deep inside to transform this heart, so that I might catch a glimpse of what true, pure love is and thus be drawn ever closer to Him. Each year as I see a larger glimpse of Him, I find it so overwhelming that it fills each fiber of my being.
Most of my life I searched for human love, I begged God to give me a companion that could love me. I did marry the love of my life, but he was crippled by bipolar disease and unable to show love. Instead, he was physically and mentally abusive as he cycled through the phases of his illness. Amazingly, God taught me so much about unconditional love and the love of my heavenly Father through all those years. My husband died and I was devastated, he was my whole world (even if at times a sick world of pain and suffering). Yet, before he died he came to know Christ as his Savior and his eternity was changed- God had a perfect plan of love, whether I fully understood it or not. Many of the years of my life I sat alone and felt so desperately filled with loneliness and longing to be loved. During all that time and through bad relationships, I came to realize that never was I alone. God was there in the middle of the night when I cried myself to sleep and God was there the next morning when I would wash my face to go off for work. God was there as I talked to Him about my hopes for the day and to take away my fears while driving to work. He sometimes would awaken me with a song singing in my head at three am so I could smile, go back to sleep and know He already had the answer. I am so grateful that during all those years of loneliness, I was given the awesome opportunity to fall so deeply in love with Jesus that I could never turn back. He became the passion of my heart, as I had been the passion of His when He endured the beatings, the mockery, the pain, His Father’s momentary turning of His back, and His death on the Cross just because He loved me.
So, again I must ask you, “Wherein lies Your Passion? Is He, Jesus Christ the most important goal in your life? Are you willing to lose every other dream in order to follow Him? Will you diligently study and train so as to move ever closer to His magnificent Glory? I only hope and pray that you realize that to move ever forward in this Christian walk you need to become passionate about this one thing, as Paul the Apostle was, that everything is unimportant compared to knowing Him and pressing toward the mark for the Prize of the High Calling of our Savior. Ask Him to give you that heart of love for Him and He will. Once there, you will be able to know joy and hope no matter what the circumstances around you; because of the overflowing well of love and life inside you. The more you love God, the more love flows through you and circling back to God and back through you until that becomes an every flowing spiral upward to heaven, overflowing with rivers of living water. Let me share with you this poem and I hope you enjoy it.
A TALK WITH GOD
Oh, let me Lord delight in You
And lay all else I hold aside
For no desire could mean as much
As hear Your voice, to feel your touch
And in Your arms abide
I feel the safety of your arms
Surrounding me throughout each storm
And when the bitter winter wind
Would bid my very spirit bend
Your breath will keep me warm
Forgive me Lord, this fragile heart
Sometimes desires too much
Forgetting You are all I need
Then comes my tears, my plead
To stop and feel Your touch
I then can hear your gentle laugh
The love within Your voice
“My child I love you evermore
My gifts on you I freely pour
The best for you my choice”
Oh, Lord I want to stay right here
And sit here at Your feet
To never step away from You
And then I cannot lose my view
No chance for fear, defeat
“But child I ask then who would go
To tell the wounded broken heart
That I their lonely heart would mend
If not but you, who can I send
If you refuse to start”
Then Father, Dear, I must say yes
To go and run Your bidding do
And You will cast aside my fears
Your hand will wipe away my tears
And keep my eyes on You
I know that You go with me now
You’re ever present in my heart
I feel Your joy arise within
I feel Your wondrous strength again
Your love will ne’er depart
