The Perseverance of Passion

Have you ever been "in love"? I know that is somewhat of a generic term, particularly in regards to the spirituality of Christian believers. Yet, however generic it may be, there are more than a few Christians that have had that experience. So I ask the question again, have you ever been "in love"? If you have, then you know that when you are going through this emotional experience, you'll put up with a lot of "stuff". People can dog you out, mistreat you, do you wrong, hurt your feelings; but when you're "in love" you just seem to find a way to "take it". Ever been there? It's not always the best place to be, but it speaks to what I want to address today as The Perseverance of Passion.

When you have Passion for someone (we'll use this word to substitute for "in love"), your endurance and aptitude for the things that you don't generally like seems to expand and increase. You have a desire to go that "extra mile" for that person, even when your effort is not requested (and in some cases not even desired). But this is what Passion will make you do. When you have Passion directed towards a person, particularly in a relational-romantic context, your ability to Persevere almost seems unimaginable. Why is this important? Because there's nothing wrong with having Relational Passion, but we need to make sure that the Passion we develop first goes to Christ, then is meted out to those whom He has called us to serve.

A few years ago I received an Apostolic Declaration from a young apostle; and they shared with me (and I paraphrase) that Jesus was upset by the lack of fire and devotion that His people have towards Him. If we be honest, many (if not most) of the Christians that we know and meet are dry when it comes to having Passion for Christ. We "say" we love the Lord, but where are the signs? I ask you, would you want a Passion where the person won't talk to you? Would you want a Passion where the person won't openly and verbally express their appreciation and adoration for you? Would you want a Passion where the person is not faithful to you? The answer is a resounding, No! But that's how many of us do Jesus. We won't pray, we won't read the Word, we won't worship and we're not obedient and faithful to the things He's called us to do. So I ask the question, where is the love, where is the Passion? We need to revive and restore The Perseverance of Passion. We need to get on fire for loving the Lord. And whatever we have to go through, whether it's the loss of relationships, the loss of jobs, the loss of finances, we'll do it. This my brothers and sisters is The Perseverance of Passion, and it needs to be restored to our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.