When Christians say or hear the word passion, a few specific things come to mind.
The Passion of Christ – as so vividly demonstrated in the recent movie. Or this question, What is your passion or calling with regard to ministry?
I’m speaking of the latter in today’s blog.
I remember being asked that question many years ago and trying to figure out what it meant. What was I passionate about? What did I get excited about, what rejuvenated me, etc. I always thought it was women’s ministry since the programs, the studies, the events all fit under the banner of women’s ministry and it was really all I knew.
After many years of thinking this way, I just got so frustrated with the same programs, studies and events. Wondering why women were not being reached.
what was wrong with them?
or me?
or anything aside from the actual program, study or event?
Because it couldn’t possibly be those things. Those things had been meticulously thought out by people smarter and much more holy than me. Thought out, put in writing, correlated, stapled, glued and packaged into a neat box, ready to implement with a group of willing women.
Then another epiphany. I seem to be getting these closer together and somewhat more obvious, so the end must truly be near.
But I digress…
I heard an amazing and clarifying word from the Lawd via Shawn Maze, the founding pastor at Sanctuary. An amazing group of people who love the Lord with a great passion.
He spoke of passion in terms of dying for something. Serious terms of being so passionate about something, you would be willing to forfeit your life for it.
Wow.
Jesus did it. That must be why it’s called His Passion. He loved us and was so passionate about the Father, that Jesus died for it. For us.
Well, I can tell you. That changes the way I view my passion for anything now. I am surely not willing to die for a program or a study or even an event. I am not willing to die for a building or a tradition. I’m not even certain I’d die for an ideal or even the baby seals, no matter how many signatures were on the petition.
But I would put my life on the line for the Truth. The Truth that is Jesus. The truth that is the body of Christ.
So, what am I passionate about? What would I be willing to sacrifice my life for?
It goes without saying that I would give up my life for my husband, my children, my grandchildren, my parents, my brother and sister and any other family member.
However, I wanted to talk about the non-obvious…
I am passionate about those women who have been shot in the foot by other Christians. Those women who have been dissed by their Christian sisters in the name of homeschooling or some other ridiculously unbiblical cliche. And no…homeschooling is not unbiblical but making it a cliche to keep others out most certainly is.
I’d put my life on the line for those women who suffer, those women who stumble through life just looking for a kind word, a loving smile and genuine relationship.
My passion is for women who don’t know what they’re missing when they focus on anything but Jesus. When they find greater satisfaction in things of this world than their Lord and Savior.
My passion is for those dear sisters who don’t know that they are loved. They don’t know that others feel what they feel. Other women have been through what they have been through.
And through it all…they are loved by a God with a passion for them. A passion that I finally get. A passion that has now been adequately defined.
A passion for redemptive relationships.
peacemakingirl
