Rekindling the passion:

by Ivan Venter
(South Africa)

Someone once said that passion is the driving force behind every good thing that we do. Reading this statement and looking at our own lives, we soon realize that the amount of passion in our lives for a certain issue, someone or cause will fuel us to go beyond our limitations, reaching the desired goals in our lives. When that passion however starts to wither because of time, energy, missed goals, ect. we tend to loose interest or loose heart.

This applies to our relationship with God as well. We read the following in 2Timothy 1: 6-9 “Therefore I remind you to inflame anew the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands. (7) For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (8) Therefore you should not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner. But be partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God, (9) who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the eternal times.”(Modern King James Version)

When I read this passage, I see a passion given to us by the Holy Spirit that burns like a fire. And although this passion originates with the Holy Spirit we find ourselves having a role and responsibility to keep the passion burning. This does not however imply that we have to earn the Holy Spirit's passion in our lives. Read with me this passage in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Modern King James Version)

Reading this we soon come to a place where we stand empty before God relying on His mercy and grace to save and keep us. All that is left is our response to that grace accepting it into our lives through faith. The first thing that we have to do in order to keep fueling the passion of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to grasp this notion of mercy in our lives. When we do our whole outlook will shift from our own capabilities to that of God's capabilities. We in fact start to live lives of worship, constantly being reminded that all that we are and all that we hope to be is dependent on God's grace in our lives.

Our responsibility then is to respond to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That responsibility helps us take charge of every opportunity that the Holy Spirit sends our way. We are no longer victims of bad schedules and busy lives but rather responders to God's hand in the work place, at home, in our families, and everywhere we go.

Here is a challenge for you that I've done in my walk with God. At the end of every day take a little note book and try to think of times where you responded to God, ask the Holy Spirit to help you act on all the opportunities that's waiting for you the following day. This will help you get a picture of your day enabling you to go into tomorrow with expectation of God's movement in and around you.

Doing this, I have learned that God is faithful in extending His grace into our lives and that our response to that grace makes all the difference when it comes to a burning passion in our lives. The question that we have to ask ourselves is: 'Am I a responding adequately to God's grace in my life?'