Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
“In hindsight, I was embarrassed not so much by my display of patriotic passion, but by my lack of genuine passion when it comes to seeking Jesus.”
I left you to dwell on this statement yesterday. Today, we’ll pick up there.
When I read (and ponder) the vision statement, I’m forced to ask myself the following questions:
Do I leap and shout when it comes to the things of God- not just in a literal way, but spiritually?
Am I passionate- not simply generally interested or complacently consistent- in my walk?
If I can do such things for a soccer match, and you can do them for ________ [fill in the blank here], why can’t we display as much (or more) for the Savior of our very souls?
There’s this song by an artist named Matthew West. You may’ve heard the song so much you’re sick of it, but focus on the these lyrics for a few minutes before brushing aside this devotion. He laments, “…I don’t want to go through the motions. I don’t want to go through one more day. Without your all-consuming passion inside of me…”
Without God’s all-consuming passion inside of me...
Passion is a good thing. Passion for your team or club is a good thing (as long as its second to God and that club is FC Dallas). But the best thing is passion for the things of God. Even better is allowing the “all-consuming passion inside of me”- the Holy Spirit- to burn within us. It’s the Holy Spirit which delivers love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self control, among a host of other things. If we allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives, we will be passionate for God- and others! We’ll be able to sing and shout and dance before God! We’ll be able to truly rejoice when a sinner comes to Christ! We won’t give a rip about what anyone thinks (even the dog)!
If you’re already passionate, continue to stoke the flame. If not, hit your knees and begin praying. That could just be the spark you need to ignite “the passion inside.”
