The Passions of a Christian

Have you ever wondered why Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky or Joe Montana became great athletes? What was it that separated them from the rest of their peers? What was the driving force behind the hours practiced? Each athlete mentioned came from a different background, college and played a different sport. Yet, the one thing they all have in common is passion for what they do, who they are and the team that they represented. This is what made them great. As Christians what should be our passions?


Christians should have a passion for the word of God. In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul writes that we are to be “diligent to present yourself approve to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” In order for Christians to live as people of God we must have the desire to study the word for ourselves. So often, believers are asked questions regarding their faith and they turn to a friend, mom, dad, or what their preacher told them. Christians have resorted to pulling their faith from what they heard, not what they have studied. In order to be people of the book, Christians have to be diligent studiers of God’s word.
Christians must also have a passion to share the word to the lost because this is their calling. If Christians do not share the word of God with the lost, if they become pew sitters then Satan has an advantage. Moreover, believers must live the word of God. The one reason the world rejects Christianity is because the world observes Saturday night heathens and Sunday morning hypocrites. If people observe Christians living as Christ has instructed they will notice a difference and want what we have….salvation and peace in Christ.


Secondly, we must have a passion for people. Christians have to have a passion for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Whether it be in good times or bad, encouragement is one of the most underestimated tools Christians have in their tool belts. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” If the Church is not encouraging its members on a consistent basis the mentality which begins to formulate is one that causes a person to think that the Church does not care how they are doing physically, emotionally or spiritually. How many people would have not fallen away if Christians had encouraged them every Sunday? We also have to have a passion for the lost. If Christians do not have a passion for the lost they will never be motivated to reach out to the world and share the good news of Christ. This motivation can only come from the realization that there are people in the world that are lost, that need help, that need Christ. Shouldn't this be a great motivational tool? Is it not the greatest motivation for sharing the gospel?


Finally, Christians have to have a passion for the Christ. The passion for the savior must be evident through obedience to his will. James 1:22-24 states that we should,
“Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in the mirror; for once he has looked at Himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.” Therefore, belief is not enough but those who seek fellowship with Christ must on belief and carry out the will of God. A Christians faith and obedience has to stem from a passion for Christ and his sacrifice on the cross and what that has accomplished for the believer. If the Church does not have a passion for the savior and to do his will then we are helping Satan, not Christ. However, Christians must have a passion for Christ through perseverance. God never promised smooth sailing but he did promise a safe landing. The passion for the savior should motivate Christians not to worry about persecution from the world. Peter writes that “if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed” (1 Peter 4:14). If Christians are being persecuted for following Christ, Is that so bad that a Christian would give up their faith in Christ? Yet Jesus said in Matthew 10:22 talking to the apostles says “You will be hated by all the world because of my name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” If Christians hold fast to the passion and love for the savior they will receive the inheritance which is undefiled, that will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5).


Do you have a passion for the word? Do you have a passion for people? Do you have a passion for the savior? Do you have the passion of a Christian?