Today my good friend Arrielle Ontiveros will be writing on her thoughts and views on passion. I miss you guys and I'm sorry I haven't written recently, I've had a crazy busy couple of weeks. Love you guys! Most sincerely, Bailey.
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What Is passion? Websters dictionary defines it as an "ardent affection for or devotion to some activity, object, or conception."
Passion, in short, is what drives us to achieve.
What do you think of when you hear the word passion? Sports? School? Your future? What about God? Would you say you're passionate about your faith? Jesus our Lord and savior certainly was. Just how passionate?
It says in John 2:14-17 "and he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and the money changers doing business. When he had made a whip of chords, he drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers money and overturned the tables. And he said to those who sold doves, 'take these things away! Do not make my fathers house a house of merchandise!' The his disciples remembered that it was written, 'zeal for your house has eaten me up'"
Can you imagine that? Zeal indeed. He was so moved by their blatant disrespect and defiling of his fathers house, that he not only flipped over the tables and let out all the animals, but it says he made a whip of chords to drive them out.
If Jesus was this passionate about God, and we are to "...have the same attitude that Christ had." (Philippians 2:5 NLT), then shouldn't we also stand up for our faith?
Now, I'm not saying that the next time someone takes the Lord's name in vain or says how stupid they think he is, you should flip over their desk and start beating them with a book (please don't do that. That's called assault. You'll go to jail!) But shouldn't we at least ask them why they feel that way and share the truth of the gospel with them?
Think about those things that you are passionate about such as sports, music, you're grades, and ask yourself 'if I was half as passionate about God as much as all these other things how much work would I be doing to further the kingdom of heaven?'
A whole lot, huh? Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't be passionate about other things, especially if you're using that passion to glorify God. However, be zealous for Christ as well and don't be afraid to speak up about your faith.
Love, Arrielle