Often in our picture of God, we see Him stern, calmly sitting on the throne in heaven ready to punish us for any infraction of His law or word. How we view God will have a major effect on our prayer life and our dealings with Him. After Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately viewed God as someone to hide from, and not communicate with. Instead of moving toward God they hid from His voice. Their picture of God was that He was passionate to punish them. I trust that we know that He was passionate to forgive them and to clothe them with His garments – the garments of righteousness.
To be passionate one will do anything to fulfill that passion. Case in point was God’s passion to bring us back into relationship with Him at the expense of offering His only begotten Son on the cross to redeem us. In fulfilling this act of Jesus, God was throwing the door of salvation wide open for anyone to enter in. Why? Because His passion is to have intimate relationship with us. Let’s not forget that this is His ultimate passion. Yes, we need to do our part in ‘being born again’ by the Spirit of God, but there has always been great rejoicing in heaven when the ‘lost sheep is found’ the ‘prodigal returns home’ and ‘that which was lost is found’.
Jesus revealed the passion of the Father when He was willing to do anything to make people believe! “And many other signs did Jesus in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book: but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing you might have life through His name.” John 20:30-31. These verses reveal two passions of God – to do signs, wonders and miracles and that we would believe so that we could have eternal life. Eternal life must include an intimate relationship with Him. To have eternal life that begins when we die is not what God wants; He wants it now with us.
Some Christians, and I trust it is not me or you, believe that God/Jesus are looking for any misdemeanor on our part to separate us from their love. Perhaps some believe that our fear because of what is happening in the world today will separate us from His love. I don’t advocate fear because the wrong fear is of the devil, but Jesus’ mercy and grace is greater than our fear. “What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword”. Romans 8:35. “No in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” 8:37. Sometimes we misinterpret God’s passion for us because we link it to our faithfulness not to His faithfulness. We need to remember that He is for us not against us! Our failures do not weaken or destroy the passion God has for us.
Another passion that God has – is to see us succeed in this life. He says that it is possible, but He doesn’t lose this passion when we struggle living the successful lifestyle. He is bigger than our failures! Our shortcomings do not make God insecure. And it doesn’t change Him because He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. We can never be responsible for God losing His passions. His passions are just as strong today as they have ever been.
Jesus has a passion to live in us and through us! “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me – “Galatians 2:20. Now in my senior years I have often wished that I could live in my children when I see them struggling with their identity or other struggles of life. I know it is impossible for me as a father to live in my children, but it is a passion of Jesus to do exactly that with His children; us. The more we understand this concept and surrender to it, this passion of Jesus is being fulfilled. “In Him we live, we move and have our being.” Acts 17:28.
In writing this article I wanted to focus on God’s passions not on our passions. Our passions often blow like the wind – here today, gone tomorrow. When we look at our passions we can easily get discouraged because they are like the waves on the sea – they push in and then retreat.
Another passion God has – is to see His kingdom come to earth. Jesus taught His disciples to always keep that in mind when they prayed. It will happen! Living in that intimate relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit, helps us to work with Him. When we see people healed, we are seeing the kingdom come; when we cast out demons, we are seeing His kingdom come; when we lead others to Jesus for salvation, we are seeing His kingdom come; when we feed the poor, we are seeing His kingdom come. Does this mean that His kingdom will not come if we don’t do these things? No – what He has declared will come to pass!
There are other things that God is passionate about – you can discover them for yourselves. God is a passionate God, He is passionate about His love, He is passionate about giving mercy and grace, He is passionate in the act of rejoicing, He is passionate in singing over you, He is passionate about declaring good things for your life. He is not a joyless God; He is never having a bad day. You and I can never put a wrinkle in His passions.
Once we understand what He is passionate about we need to ask Him to give us the same passions. They will never be to the same degree as His passions, but do not let that bother you.
Hearing and understanding the voice of the Lord,
Les Dueck
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