Anyone else encompassed with a strong and barely controllable emotion, known as passion? My hand is waving frantically in the air. My Dad always told me I was very passionate. Gently, he advised me to be careful because what may be my greatest strong suit could also, become my biggest weakness.

Whether you have a more openly passionate personality or more controlled I should tell you that, passion is deeply embedded within each one of us.

“God created you with passion, but Satan twisted it into lust.”

Robert Morris

I’ve recently been reading a devotional by Pastor Robert Morris titled ‘It Is Written’ and in one his messages, he shared a pivotal moment in his life. Morris told his pastor about his struggle with overcoming lusts and trying to deal with things from the past. He was seeking guidance to help him. His pastor put his hands on him and prayed a prayer that completely changed his life.

“Father, I pray that You will cause Robert to fall passionately in love with You. In Jesus Name, Amen.”

Pastor Olen Griffing

The rut that Morris was in has sadly been a feeling that I had felt for so long! Like I was living out my faith only through my parents. Just going through the motions. There was no true PASSION for Christ. No matter how hard I tried to grow closer to Him, it never seemed to stick.

I knew there was a missing factor, I was too selfish to admit it was me.

So, instead, I took all that passion and invested it into ways to make ME feel satisfied…desired and good enough.

At that moment, sin was rooted and began to grow and grow until I was completely consumed by the darkness!

“But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

-James 1:14-15

Has your passion been hijacked?
Are you stuck in a constant battle of overcoming lies?
Drowning in defeat?
Consuming lusts?
Overwhelming shame?

This passion God instilled in you has been misguided, twisted and corrupted.

“For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, the pride of life comes not from the Father, but from the world.”

-1 John 2:16

All these toils we face, big or small are truly no match for The Creator! You have already been made victorious in Jesus Christ. Now, passionately seek after Him, day in and day out, and live by the Spirit.

I am so thankful for God’s gracious hand in my life. Because now I can finally see how He truly intended to create me: intentional, available, openly passionate and faithful. But Satan twisted that into overbearing, in your face, loud and insecure. Which for years drove my passion in the exact opposite direction from where it needed to be!

Don’t allow the passion burning inside you to become foul, instead seek to become precisely passionate for the Lord God Almighty!

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

-Galatians 5:25

*CHALLENGE: Think about what is driving your passion. Is it you or our Heavenly Father? Then PRAY and surrender that passion to the Lord! Ask and it shall be given to you (Matthew 7:7). Then brace yourself, for what God’s passion in you can truly do!

And if you have not yet made that decision to live by the Spirit or aren’t quite sure how to move forward, there is no better time than NOW! It is never too late; you are never too far gone from accepting and experiencing the gracious, redeeming love of our Lord and Savior. I urge you, with all my heart to not dismiss any tugging you may feel in your heart, but to trust God to do miraculous things in your life!

Lord God, thank you for instilling in us a passion so overwhelming we can’t even contain it! The only way to truly embrace and unravel Your mighty Hand is to surrender and passionately seek after You! I ask You Lord, to help us passionately run after You, each and every day! May we be rooted in You Lord, and not of this world! Thank You, for Your grace that never stops giving! In Your Holy Name, Amen.