Friday, July 10, 2009
What's Your Passion?
I've been thinking about the men's meeting in which the pastor went around the circle and asked every man to state what his passion is. It's like you're less than a man, or less than a man-Christian if you don't have a passion. So they (we) all said things like: "to lead men to Christ" or "see men lead their families" or "help eradicate porn" ...
When Lynda and I talked about this I said I didn't have a passion. Now that I think about it, that's wrong. I would say my passion is to know God - and I hope, more and more, to make Him known. But that sounds too canned or trite to the one who is looking for a more man-Christian answer ... when I feel that those answers are really more contrived.
Reading today Mt 22:34-40 I am reminded of my "mission" - receive life, live life, and give life. That can sound so unplanned ... serendipitous ... existential. Yet when Jesus said that the greatest is to love God with all your being (and can you get any greater?), and secondly to love your neighbor. This is followed by a very serendipitous way to love my neighbor. It does seem to me that what Jesus is saying is pretty much: 1. love God (receive and live life) 2. love neighbor (give life).
We want to complicate life with our agendas (alias passions) - agendas which make us feel that we are doing something for God's kingdom. Like we're advancing or protecting God's kingdom. All this while God wants us to live in His kingdom. Oh I see people "called" to great ministries or tasks, like Jeremiah, or Elijah, but they are one in a million - not the norm. Maybe I should write a book "I don't have a calling." Although that's a little misleading because my calling is this: to love god and love my neighbor.
Now, I know many would argue that the Great Commission is greater than this / supersedes this / maybe even replaces this. Personally I think I'll stick with receiving, living, and giving life.
When Lynda and I talked about this I said I didn't have a passion. Now that I think about it, that's wrong. I would say my passion is to know God - and I hope, more and more, to make Him known. But that sounds too canned or trite to the one who is looking for a more man-Christian answer ... when I feel that those answers are really more contrived.
Reading today Mt 22:34-40 I am reminded of my "mission" - receive life, live life, and give life. That can sound so unplanned ... serendipitous ... existential. Yet when Jesus said that the greatest is to love God with all your being (and can you get any greater?), and secondly to love your neighbor. This is followed by a very serendipitous way to love my neighbor. It does seem to me that what Jesus is saying is pretty much: 1. love God (receive and live life) 2. love neighbor (give life).
We want to complicate life with our agendas (alias passions) - agendas which make us feel that we are doing something for God's kingdom. Like we're advancing or protecting God's kingdom. All this while God wants us to live in His kingdom. Oh I see people "called" to great ministries or tasks, like Jeremiah, or Elijah, but they are one in a million - not the norm. Maybe I should write a book "I don't have a calling." Although that's a little misleading because my calling is this: to love god and love my neighbor.
Now, I know many would argue that the Great Commission is greater than this / supersedes this / maybe even replaces this. Personally I think I'll stick with receiving, living, and giving life.
Labels: devotion, men's meeting, mission, passion
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