Passion

I think the greatest deficiency we have in our world is passion. Passion that feeling that drives us to seek out and do the things we love and to love people with intention and meanin. Passion, so out of context in our modern culture as we think it almost to be a negative or inappropriate word. Maybe not such a harsh connotation, but nonetheless, it's supposed to be a word of exuberance, love and inspiration. A friend introduced me recently to one of my new favorite quotes, "Live life with Passion". Another friend painted me a delightful bright colored flower painting with those inspiring words. It often makes me sad to see the true depth of the lack of passion around us. Sermons particularly, with their seemingly empty words either read from a hand-held page thought up days ago with its spiritual meaning having lost its fervor or reading from another's thoughts of topical sermons or scripture either from commentaries or other write-ups. Don't hear me bashing studying and preparing, each are fundamental to proper biblical teaching, but where's the passion in their voice when reading most of the time. These Words from the Spirit should jump off the page, should bring joy. A preacher's job, as far as I can tell, is to bring life. You bring life by enlightening others about eternal things. I've just noticed recently this great lack of passion in the deep soul of all of us that should make us speak as though God truly is who is claims He is, that he controls ALL things, that He reigns and no one will escape Him, that He seriously died selflessly so that we could not only eternally live, but live abundantly, that we could live life with passion. My greatest objection to speakers is not their material but their feeling, their passion, behind those words. 80% of what you say is nonverbal... did you know that? I think we work so hard at evangelizing and speaking Jesus that we forget that unless we live knowing He truly does reign supreme and have our good at heart, we can never truly change our lives or those around us. We can change for a day or a few years maybe if we're strong, but the number of burned out Christians makes my heart hurt and makes me wonder if they ever lived a life of passion.