No, I'm not going to write about sex today. Passion is about more than lust. The root of the word passion comes from the Latin that means "to suffer" and was first used over a century ago to describe Jesus' suffering and death. You have probably heard this referred to as The Passion of Christ. While the meaning of "passion" has morphed over the years to mean any kind of strong emotion, there is still a sense at its core that we are passionate about things we are willing to suffer for.
What are you passionate about? What stirs your soul and sparks your emotions? Where do you want to focus your time, thoughts, talent and treasure? What are you willing to suffer for?
As children start school, look to see where their passions lie. Are they intrigued by science or sports? Literature or mathematics? Art or architecture? History or hanging out?
As you look at businesses in your community, you will find people passionate about their professions and their products.
As you scan the news, you will see our President passionate about making life safer and more prosperous for average Americans. You will also see those who hate Trump passionate about destroying his presidency.
I am passionate about proclaiming God's gift of liberty to all mankind. That's why I write these articles.
Our passions and the suffering that goes along with them have a purpose. Students will suffer as they struggle to learn. Entrepreneurs will suffer as they build their businesses. Politicians suffer as they strive to make their ideas become law. Writers suffer each time they look at a blank page.
Jesus suffered, as the book of Hebrews tells us, for "the joy that lay before him." That joy is you. Jesus suffered, so you, and the whole world, could be forgiven and restored to our rightful place in God's family.
What are you passionate about? Not sure? It seems many folks find their lives so busy, or filled with boredom or despair, that nothing stirs their hearts. If that is where you find yourself, spend some time looking at the world through God's eyes. Where do you see the greatest need? What breaks your heart? Where can you pitch in?
I've recently heard a lot of great speakers talk, very passionately, about helping people learn from their failures, about the need for clean water, about discovering the talent that resides in each of us. For all of these people, their journey began with looking at their needs and the needs around them. They were open to the possibilities. They all discovered God was with them pointing the way.
Make America Good Again by finding your passion and pursuing it!
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