Passion

What does passion look like? I love sports, and have always loved the guys who seemed to play with passion and intensity -- John McEnroe, Michael Irvin, Michael Jordan, etc. I even get kick out guys like Dennis Rodman and Terrell Owens. At least they keep things interesting.

There are many guys, though, that exude a quiet passion that's not outward and flamboyant. Guys like Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison of the Colts. There are plenty of people who have passion, but don't show it in outward ways -- simply ways that make them push to achieve excellence.

I've been thinking about this what this means spiritually. I am definitely an outwardly passionate person. I get emotional. I cry. I sometimes yell and scream. I'm not opposed to a good argument. Yet I know that there are others who are just as passionate about their savior that show it in other, quieter ways.

So, how do know if someone has passion? If a church has passion? No matter how you show it, passionate people (and churches) are never content where they are. They do not settle for the place they are. In Revelation 3, Jesus speaks to the church in Laodicea, telling them they are neither hot nor cold, so he just wants to spit them out from his mouth. That's a pretty condemning evidence of a lack of passion. How do we know they are not passionate? Because they believe they are okay where they are..."You think you are wealthy and don't need anything." In other words, they are content with where they are, the gifts they have been given. The world has convinced them they don't need to be stretched -- to grow -- and so they no longer have a passion. They're lukewarm.

I have realized lately that I am more Terrell Owens than Peyton Manning. I get passionate about Jesus, the church, and what we should be about. Sometimes that comes out in weird ways. There are people that have a similar passion that show it in other ways. That is awesome. But I never want to be that church in Laodicea. I don't want to be satisfied with where we are. I don't want to be seduced into thinking we've got it made. I don't want to stop growing, pushing (sometimes painfully) to be more like the Christians and the church that God desires us to be. I want to be part of a passionate body.

God save us from our desire for comfort and satisfaction. Lord, give us all passion to be more like you each day -- no matter how it shows up.