Be on Fire

Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord!

Romans 12:11 Common English Bible

The Apostle Paul encourages us to stay passionate for God and our relationship with Him. Passion is not a feeling. It is a heartfelt conviction to move forward towards God's direction regardless of the circumstances before us. But more than anything else, passion makes the difference between staying loyal and faithful to Jesus and getting lost and straying from Him. We can see this in Judas when he criticised Mary for her extravagant act of worship (John 12:4-6).

At some point we are to evaluate our level of passion and energy and to be honest whether we are still pursuing our first love. Again, this pursuit is an invitation of grace to encounter God’s pure love and unbreakable bond. After all, God is the true source that fuels our passion and inspires our purpose.

Sadly, our friendship and relationship with God is too often consumeristic and individualistic. Our passion wanes because our love for God is conditional and we have reduced God to a cosmic genie who serves us, and not because we love to serve Him.

Christ is our perfect example of one whose love and passion for God empowers Him to faithfully engage in His Father’s work. Likewise, it is only when we fully embrace our identity as daughters and sons of God that our passion and purpose come together. Without living in the truth of who we are and what we have in Christ, we are trapped in the need for validation and acceptance from others. This leads to a performance-driven faith in order to earn our self-worth and value.

Hear the word of the Lord.

Recall and remember the love of God that you experienced when you first met Jesus. Rethink your priorities and set them in God's right order and purpose. If you are sensing your passion is waning, ask the Holy Spirit to restore the truth of your identity in Christ and reconnect you to your purpose and rekindle your passion to pursue it. And God will answer you.