Daily devotion – Passion
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Each and every one of us has certain passions or a passion. For some it is fitness, health and others it might be fashion, surfing, golf, clothes, for some it’s family and so on.
Everyone is passionate about something. This time of the year being school holidays, many are camping which is not one of my passions. But such passionate campers have all the equipment – stoves, ovens, fold out beds, magnificent tents, water containers, and even portable showers and toilets.
You name it they have it and they just love to use all these little nick knacks and helps.
If you travel to Optus oval to watch a game, whether it be AFL, Rugby, or a touring EPL team, you will see passion like no other as the supporters ride the ebb and flow of the contest resulting at times in tears of victory or loss. It’s simply amazing!
But get the same person in Church and you would think their vocation was that of either a librarian or undertaker. Somethings not right! What’s not right is that we have succumbed to an idol taking the place of Christ in our lives. We are more excited about a trip, a win, an event, a new phone, new clothes, a new surfboard or golf club – anything that has taken the place of Christ as the greatest passion in our lives.
You can tell if you are such a person by the amount of time, effort and energy you give to your particular passion. How much time in preparation, cleaning, packing, planning, dressing, reading the manuals and how much you are excited by it all.
Let me say that all the things I have mentioned, in and of themselves are not sinful, they are not harmful as such, but when they take the place of the highest passion in your life, then that hobby, that event, that item takes on a whole new persona.
In my years of being at the side of people who are days or hours away from their life ending, not one speck of those things mentioned has filled our conversation. No, instead we have talked about life after death, we have talked about fear, time lost not spent with family, and we have talked in detail about the God who created them.
I have a passion for surfing and love the ocean, but that never overrides my passion for Christ and if I am able to get up early to catch the best waves, I have no excuse for getting up earlier to spend time alone with God on His Word and in prayer.
It’s what you do with your passion that counts!
Let us never allow something of this world to take the rightful place of the One who suffered and died on Calvary to give me eternal life. Let our passion be to love Him and serve Him and to always have Him Lord of everything in our lives.
Act 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.