A Passion Like Paul
I want to have a passion like Paul.
I want to have that desire, that fire, that intensity.
I want that love.
I've finished reading Acts and am into Romans, which is probably why I've suddenly rediscovered the amazing fire Paul has about the Lord. This man, Paul, has undergone capture, imprisonment, torture, rejection, and yet he STILL is on fire for Christ. He continues his mission, as eager and passionate as ever, filled with love, humility, and forgiveness.
Here is a man who went from persecuting to persecutee.
Here is a man who revolutionized is way of thinking, believing, living.
Here is a man who has changed.
I love that Paul is able to relate to is audience so phenomenally. He knew what it was like to hate Christians, to kill them, to find them evil, because he used to believe that. But then his life was changed forever. He did a 180 degree turn and became a missionary who knew the importance and had the unending love to share what he had found in the Lord. He was willing to die for friends, family, strangers, enemies to be saved. It is evident that 'Paul was satisfied with whatever he had, wherever he was, as long as he could do God's work.'
How amazing is that?
In pain, in desperation, in loneliness, in rejection, in love, in happiness, in suffering, in struggle, in joy, in peace--it didn't matter--he was passionately serving Christ.
It's funny because we [maybe not you, but at least me] as a general population love our security, safety, and comfortability. We don't like being too hot, too cold, too hungry, too full, too busy, too bored. We live in a world where we want satisfaction, and even then we're sometimes STILL NOT HAPPY. I think a lot of that comes from the fact that we tend to be selfish. We tend to put ourselves before others. We want to be comfortable before we are willing to make others feel comfort.
Do you disagree?
I'd find it a hard question to contradict, simply because of the evidence of how we live our lives. Now I know this may not mean we sell our possessions, leave our families, and give ourselves to the world. But what if it does? What if it means leaving everything you love, everything you've given yourself to, everything you know?
In Romans 1, Paul takes about how he wants to visit Rome badly, but due to circumstances, cannot. He had no idea that by not going to Rome, he was able to preach and reach a crowd he never would have. "Perhaps there are some 'no's' in your lives that God is planning to use greatly if we would just faithfully do what lies directly ahead of us instead of worrying about why we didn't get our way."
Maybe our happiness really is inside us. Maybe we just have to reach out and give to be able to look inside and receive.
I love in Romans when he talks about struggling with sin. "The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate. [...] I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway."
This is so me. Is it you?
We all have that constant battle inside us, right from wrong, good from bad, but it's MORE THAN THAT. It's the lukewarm waters where I think we are in the most danger.
In order to cook a live lobster, you place it in warm water. The temperature keeps rising, but the lobster never notices. Soon enough, the water is boiling and the lobster is dead. It had a chance to escape, but didn't. It was fooled by the lukewarm waters. What once didn't seem so bad ended up leading it to it's death.
I think that's what sin is. I think what we do, we don't think is so bad. We don't think those words we said were really that bad, those thoughts we thought were really that bad, those actions we took were really that bad.
What if those lukewarm waters bring us to death?
I challenge you to look at yourself. Examine how you live, how you speak, how you love, how you treat others.
I challenge you to reevaluate how you look at those different than you [race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, belief, religion, values].
I challenge you to treat others with love and respect.
I'm not saying you shouldn't voice your opinion, ignore those who do harm, turn back on those you don't agree with. I'm simply challenging you to love them. Speak to them in love, listen to them in love, help them in love.
I don't want to live a life in lukewarm waters. I want to find that passion in Christ.
Some of you might know that I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter series. Now for those of you who don't like it (you're wrong). No, kidding, but bear with me. Those of you who have read it and enjoy it, hear me out as well.
I absolutely enjoy studying, rediscovering, and examining the series. It is amazing how a writer could possibly create such an intricate story. But more importantly, I'm amazed at the biblical symbolism intertwined throughout it. I am passionate about that story. But that's just it--
It's only a story.
What I want is the passion I have for reading, rereading, studying, and being excited about Harry Potter, for the Word. For learning about Christ. Because that's just it--
This story continues.
This story is real.
This story is written for us, to us.
I encourage you to find your passion in life. Find what makes you excited and DO JUST THAT. For me, I'm not sure what that is yet. All I know is whatever that 'looks like' I know I want it to be a passion for Christ. A passion to serve. A passion to give. A passion to love.
A passion like Christ.
I want to have that desire, that fire, that intensity.
I want that love.
I've finished reading Acts and am into Romans, which is probably why I've suddenly rediscovered the amazing fire Paul has about the Lord. This man, Paul, has undergone capture, imprisonment, torture, rejection, and yet he STILL is on fire for Christ. He continues his mission, as eager and passionate as ever, filled with love, humility, and forgiveness.
Here is a man who went from persecuting to persecutee.
Here is a man who revolutionized is way of thinking, believing, living.
Here is a man who has changed.
I love that Paul is able to relate to is audience so phenomenally. He knew what it was like to hate Christians, to kill them, to find them evil, because he used to believe that. But then his life was changed forever. He did a 180 degree turn and became a missionary who knew the importance and had the unending love to share what he had found in the Lord. He was willing to die for friends, family, strangers, enemies to be saved. It is evident that 'Paul was satisfied with whatever he had, wherever he was, as long as he could do God's work.'
How amazing is that?
In pain, in desperation, in loneliness, in rejection, in love, in happiness, in suffering, in struggle, in joy, in peace--it didn't matter--he was passionately serving Christ.
It's funny because we [maybe not you, but at least me] as a general population love our security, safety, and comfortability. We don't like being too hot, too cold, too hungry, too full, too busy, too bored. We live in a world where we want satisfaction, and even then we're sometimes STILL NOT HAPPY. I think a lot of that comes from the fact that we tend to be selfish. We tend to put ourselves before others. We want to be comfortable before we are willing to make others feel comfort.
Do you disagree?
I'd find it a hard question to contradict, simply because of the evidence of how we live our lives. Now I know this may not mean we sell our possessions, leave our families, and give ourselves to the world. But what if it does? What if it means leaving everything you love, everything you've given yourself to, everything you know?
In Romans 1, Paul takes about how he wants to visit Rome badly, but due to circumstances, cannot. He had no idea that by not going to Rome, he was able to preach and reach a crowd he never would have. "Perhaps there are some 'no's' in your lives that God is planning to use greatly if we would just faithfully do what lies directly ahead of us instead of worrying about why we didn't get our way."
Maybe our happiness really is inside us. Maybe we just have to reach out and give to be able to look inside and receive.
I love in Romans when he talks about struggling with sin. "The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate. [...] I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway."
This is so me. Is it you?
We all have that constant battle inside us, right from wrong, good from bad, but it's MORE THAN THAT. It's the lukewarm waters where I think we are in the most danger.
In order to cook a live lobster, you place it in warm water. The temperature keeps rising, but the lobster never notices. Soon enough, the water is boiling and the lobster is dead. It had a chance to escape, but didn't. It was fooled by the lukewarm waters. What once didn't seem so bad ended up leading it to it's death.
I think that's what sin is. I think what we do, we don't think is so bad. We don't think those words we said were really that bad, those thoughts we thought were really that bad, those actions we took were really that bad.
What if those lukewarm waters bring us to death?
I challenge you to look at yourself. Examine how you live, how you speak, how you love, how you treat others.
I challenge you to reevaluate how you look at those different than you [race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, belief, religion, values].
I challenge you to treat others with love and respect.
I'm not saying you shouldn't voice your opinion, ignore those who do harm, turn back on those you don't agree with. I'm simply challenging you to love them. Speak to them in love, listen to them in love, help them in love.
I don't want to live a life in lukewarm waters. I want to find that passion in Christ.
Some of you might know that I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter series. Now for those of you who don't like it (you're wrong). No, kidding, but bear with me. Those of you who have read it and enjoy it, hear me out as well.
I absolutely enjoy studying, rediscovering, and examining the series. It is amazing how a writer could possibly create such an intricate story. But more importantly, I'm amazed at the biblical symbolism intertwined throughout it. I am passionate about that story. But that's just it--
It's only a story.
What I want is the passion I have for reading, rereading, studying, and being excited about Harry Potter, for the Word. For learning about Christ. Because that's just it--
This story continues.
This story is real.
This story is written for us, to us.
I encourage you to find your passion in life. Find what makes you excited and DO JUST THAT. For me, I'm not sure what that is yet. All I know is whatever that 'looks like' I know I want it to be a passion for Christ. A passion to serve. A passion to give. A passion to love.
A passion like Christ.
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