I just finished reading the book of Acts this morning and was reminded again, even more strongly than before, how hard Paul had it and how much he influenced lives for Jesus. Thinking back to the earlier parts of Paul’s life when he had dedicated his life to persecuting and killing followers of Jesus Christ I find myself thinking “wow, if God is able to use someone as bad as Paul, then he can definitely use me!” I’m not saying that I’m good or have any sort of incredible skill, but I don’t live to kill Christians, I live to follow my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This however, is were I stop this train of thought.
Yes, we can all agree that Paul was pretty bad. Have you ever thought about how passionate he was about persecuting and killing Christians though? Paul had something that a significant number of us lack, a burning passion. What are you passionate about? I have a few passions, one of which is music. I love music, I listen to it everyday, I play it, I talk about it, and it pulses through me as if it was the blood that keeps me alive. Yes, I am passionate about music! As passionate as I am about music, I think Paul was even more passionate about killing Christians. So why did God pick Paul out of a crowd of thousands of others that were “better people?”
Well, sorry to break it to you, but I can’t tell you why God picked Paul when there were other people that could have done Paul’s job. Here’s what I can tell you, Paul had passion. When was the last time you met someone who was so passionate that just hearing them talk about their passion made you excited about it? I’m going to guess that it’s been a while. Fiery passion like that of Paul’s s hard to come by, and it is vital to have if you are going to face hardships and be able to keep going. I believe that God saw that Paul was full of passion and know that if he just change what Paul was passionate about then he would be able to influence a huge number of people for God. So that’s exactly what He did. God struck Paul blind and showed him who was really in control, and who he needed to be serving. (If you don’t know the story, go read it. It’s the first few chapters in Acts...better yet, just read all of Acts.)
I was thinking about this and thinking “am I passionate enough bout Christ?” My conclusion, No, I’m not. I want to have the burning passion that Paul had, but I’m not there yet. My other question, if I was more passionate would I be able to influence others better for the Lord? Yes, I believe so. What about you? Are you passionate enough about serving the Lord Jesus Christ?
Passion is something that grows and grows. It’s not something you necessarily just get overnight. It can be sparked overnight, but as you continue to be involved in whatever you have a passion for, that passion will grow. As you live your life for Jesus, spend time in the Bible, pray, and do what the Lord directs you to, your passion will grow.
My challenge to you, and for myself, is to let your passion grow. Don’t hold back because you are afraid of what you family or friends may say, or what responses you might get from any other person. Be “fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” as we are told to in Romans 12:11. Live each day as if it was the last day you had to spend doing something you love!
Until next time, keep on the journey!
Love your sister in Christ
