Getting Fired Up
I love passion. But l think lately I’ve been lacking passion. Why? Would you like my top ten list? I can come up with at least ten reasons faster than you can say David Letterman — Top 10 Reasons Dan is Lacking Passion. But I’m not going to write them down. Some of them will sound more legitimate than others, but not a single one of them compares to the reality that I have the Spirit of God living in me, and God’s resurrection power is available for me.
This week, I’ve been studying John the Baptist. Did you know that Jesus proclaimed John to be — up to that day — the greatest man who ever lived? As I look at the life of John the Baptist, it appears that John had immense passion. John the Baptist was fired up. When it came to passion, he didn’t need a choir to light it up or a preacher to call it down. He didn’t need an online message from fired-up Francis or a worship cd from the newest church in love with Jesus.
He didn’t need an outside source of fire, for he already had a roaring inferno of passion in his heart. He didn’t need to be revived, renewed, convinced, cajoled, admonished, or awakened. The fire was stirred up. Loneliness didn’t put it out. Hardship didn’t blow it out. Long waiting didn’t suck away it’s oxygen. Lack of ministry opportunities didn’t throw cold water on it.
I’m not saying that John never doubted. He did. I’m not saying he never struggled with hopelessness. I guess what I’m wondering is if my top ten list is really what’s holding me back. Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest man to ever be born of women, but every person in the Kingdom of heaven is even greater than John. What’s the difference? Those in the Kingdom of God have the Spirit of God.
I have the very Spirit of God within me.
As long as we continue to hold on to one of our excuses for a lack of passion, we will never have the fire like we could. One of the prayers that Jim Elliott wrote in his journal is…
God deliver me from the dead asbestos of other things. Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be aflame….Father take my life, yea my blood if thou wilt, and consume it with Thine enveloping fire. I would not save it for it is not mine to save. Have it, Lord have it all. Pour out my life as an oblation for the world….Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.
Not a bad prayer to start the fire…